SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced eight local education agencies in California will share $6.3 million in Reading First Regional Technical Assistance Centers grants.  For a list of grantees, please visit Funding Results: Reading First Regional Technical Assistance Centers.

"We must ensure that students learn to read by the end of the third grade in order to set the proper stage for a lifetime of learning," said O'Connell. "These grants provide support for teachers and administrators as they implement effective reading programs. The eight grantees were selected because they are in regions of the highest need where high-poverty students have the lowest levels of achievement in reading.  We are committed and thankful for the infrastructure being created through our county offices of education to support reading instruction for students and professional development for teachers."

Reading First is a federal program funded under the No Child Left Behind Act. The program is designed to ensure that all children in the United States learn to read well by the end of third grade. The grants continue to fund eight existing Regional Technical Assistance Centers that provide to local education agencies leadership, resources, professional development for teachers, technical assistance for schools to implement their reading programs, and assessment and monitoring of their outcomes. The eight centers serve all 11 county superintendents' regions throughout the state. 

For more information on the Reading First Regional Technical Assistance Centers grants, please visit Funding Profile (ID 906): Reading First Regional Technical Assistance Centers.