CLSD Grant Literacy Lead Agency

Sections 2222-2225 of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 authorizes the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant. In 2019, the California Department of Education (CDE) was awarded $37.5 million in CLSD grant funds to leverage and expand existing statewide infrastructure, guidance, and expertise to bring coherence to the system of literacy supports to improve student outcomes over a period of five years.

To help achieve this goal, the CDE identified seven local Literacy Lead Agencies (LLAs) through a competitive grant process to build expertise in the priorities identified in the State Literacy Plan (PDF) and implement the strategies through multi-year small-scale pilots with local districts. These strategies must align with state guidance and policies, be evidence-based, and support the literacy needs of economically disadvantaged and high-need students. LLAs and their partners will support teachers within their regions to improve comprehensive literacy instruction with a focus on the statewide literacy priority for their assigned age and grade span.

Information regarding each statewide literacy priority and the respective LLA and partner consortia appears below.

CLSD Grantees

Statewide Literacy Priority 1

Birth to age five projects that support early childhood education programs that promote literacy-rich environments and experiences and support the quality of programs and their capacity to support early language and literacy skills, as well as to increase family support by increasing knowledge, skills, and confidence through family-centered curriculum and literacy activities with special attention to linguistic diversity and equity and access for all.

Literacy Lead Agency: San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools in partnership with Orange County Department of Education and Fresno County Superintendent of Schools. More information is available in the Priority 1 LLA Overview(PDF).

Statewide Literacy Priority 2

Transitional kindergarten through grade five (TK–5) programs that build teacher capacity for Tier 1 literacy instruction, including foundational skills, reading comprehension, and best first reading and writing instruction.

Literacy Lead Agency: Los Angeles County Office of Education (COE) in partnership with Lake COE and Siskiyou COE. More information is available in the Priority 2 LLA Overview(PDF).

Statewide Literacy Priority 3

TK-5 programs that build school capacity for effective literacy and comprehensive English Language Development (ELD) for English Learner (EL) students, including opportunities to develop biliteracy and primary language instruction whenever possible.

Literacy Lead Agency: San Diego COE in partnership with Orange County Department of Education, Imperial COE, and the California Reading and Literature Project. More information is available in the Priority 3 LLA Overview(PDF).

Statewide Literacy Priority 4

TK–5 to grade five programs that build school capacity to support students struggling with reading, including, but not limited to, students with disabilities and students with dyslexia.

Literacy Lead Agency: Contra Costa COE in partnership with San Diego COE. More information is available in the Priority 4 LLA Overview(PDF).

Statewide Literacy Priority 5

Grades six through twelve (6–12) programs that build teacher capacity across disciplines for literacy instruction, including peer to peer coaching models.

Literacy Lead Agency: Butte COE in partnership with Plumas COE, Shasta COE, Modoc COE, and the Center for Applied Special Technology. More information is available in the Priority 5 LLA Overview(PDF).

Statewide Literacy Priority 6

Grades 6−12 programs that build school capacity for effective literacy and comprehensive ELD for EL students, including opportunities to develop biliteracy and primary language instruction whenever possible.

Literacy Lead Agency: Tulare COE in partnership with Kings COE, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, Madera County Superintendent of Schools, Merced COE, and Mariposa COE. More information is available in the Priority 6 LLA Overview(PDF).

Statewide Literacy Priority 7

Grades 6−12 programs that promote and build school capacity for effective literacy instruction for students with disabilities.

Literacy Lead Agency: Napa COE in partnership with Riverside COE, and Siskiyou COE. More information is available in the Priority 7 LLA Overview(PDF).

New information and guidance will be added as it becomes available. If you would like to be notified when new information is available, please join the CDE Literacy listserv by sending a blank email message to join-cde-literacy@mlist.cde.ca.gov.