Early Literacy Grant

Historical Information

The Early Literacy Grant Program originated during the 2017-2018 academic year with an $8 million appropriation from the legislature. This program was designed to be administered to schools with at least a 90% free and reduced lunch population, and funds were to be used for K-3 literacy programs and full-day Kindergarten. It originally allowed for participating schools to receive available funding throughout a three-year grant cycle, provided all requirements were met. At this time, there were 242 eligible schools, of which 175 schools elected to participate. Year two of the grant began in the 2018-2019 academic year, and a $12 million appropriation from the legislature was included for all 242 eligible schools. To comply with the legislation and maintain the integrity of the grant program for the participating schools, the eligibility list of schools from the previous academic year was used to determine the funding for the next academic year. Moving forward, eligibility will be determined on an annual basis, provided the continuation of funding. Because the Early Literacy Grant is an entitlement program, there is no application required for participation. However, each school that receives Early Literacy Grant funds is required to submit an Annual Report by June 1st of each calendar year.

The report must include information related to the following:

• Summary of the school’s funded activities
• The school’s progress toward achievement goals
• Specific findings on grant-funded strategies and activities
• The level of effectiveness in improving reading proficiency

While both the Early Literacy Grant and Move On When Reading address K-3 literacy, they are separate endeavors. All schools with K-3 students are required to submit Move On When Reading literacy plans according to the legislated timeline, even if they are also receiving the Early Literacy Grant.

Legislation

Updates for FY24 

The Early Literacy Grant was renewed with twelve million dollars in funding for the fiscal year 2024 (FY24). Per the legislation, schools are eligible to receive funding by meeting the following criteria: 

1. Serve kindergarten, first-grade, and/or third-grade students
2. Have 90% or more of their students eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch
   1. Eligible schools are determined based on the claim data from SY22-23 as reported to the ADE Health and Nutrition Division by each LEA. This list was cross-referenced with the AzEDS Student Level and Free and Reduced Lunch data from the 2022-2023 school year to ensure all schools were captured. 

Schools that meet the criteria and will receive funding will be notified in October, with funds delivered to budgets in December. Additional notifications will be sent in the Spring as a reminder to complete the annual report due on June 1. Please see Funding and Usage for more information on how to use ELG Funds.

Funding and Usage 

1. ELG funding is allotted at the school level and may not be used for non-eligible schools in the same district/charter system
2. ELG funding is to be used to support all-day kindergarten and/or K-3 reading.
   1. Similar to Move On When Reading (MOWR) funding, ELG funding can be used in any of the following large buckets:
      1. K-3 Reading: Staffing
      2. K-3 Reading: Instructional Materials
      3. This includes curricula, materials such as a reading table, and/or technology used to support reading.
      4. K-3 Reading: Assessment Materials
      5. K-3 Reading: Professional Development 
3. Because final funding amounts are determined by ADM, ELG funding has typically been provided in one payment to schools in Oct/Nov of the school year.
   1. Please note that the funding amounts listed in the eligibility document are ESTIMATES to provide you with a ballpark of FY23 funding. The final amounts will be determined and provided in October.
   2. Funds are included in the Operating Budget, typically denoted in ‘Other State Funds.’
4. The ELG does allow the carryover of funds. 
    

Guidance Documents and Resources 

EMAC Administrator Support
EMAC is a system housed within ADE Connect and where all reporting will occur for the ELG. Please use this document to help add EMAC to user profiles. **Updated guide as of 3/14/2024 - there is no longer a HOME button, so please see this new document linked above. If you have any other issues, please reach out to the EMAC HelpDesk.

Early Literacy Grant Assignment and Task Guidance Document
Please use this document to assign the ELG task to individual schools, assign EMAC users, and complete the required documentation required each year by June 1st. 

Early Literacy Grant Annual Report Guidance
The annual report is due June 1, 2023. This document shares the requirements and needed information to complete the form within EMAC.

ESSA Tiers of Evidence

In 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act replaced No Child Left Behind. ESSA empowers states to better identify and support the needs of their schools. Beginning in 2017-2018, the K-3 reading programs used by schools must meet the ESSA criteria for being evidence-based. To receive MOWR and any federal funding (Title 1, etc.) programs must meet one of the top three tiers of evidence (Strong, Moderate, or Promising).

**For more information on ESSA, including videos and other guidance, please visit the MOWR for Administrators page, and go to the blue bar titled "ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act)".

Previous Annual Early Literacy Grant Reports 

Previous ELG reports are shared below as a reference: