(FRANKFORT, Ky.) -- Approximately 90 of Kentucky's 176 public school districts are eligible to apply for a share of $89 million from the U.S. Department of Education to implement the Reading First program over the next six years, the Kentucky Department of Education announced today.
Reading First is a component of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The initiative is designed to improve the reading levels of primary (K-3) children and focuses on a number of priorities, including:
· Strengthening coordination among schools, early literacy programs and family literacy initiatives
· Basing reading instructional practices on scientifically based reading research
· Providing professional development for primary (K-3) and K-12 special education teachers in effective reading instruction
· Identifying and implementing resources, materials and programs to support Reading First
· Administering valid and reliable assessments for screening, diagnosing, and monitoring student reading progress
Statewide professional development will train teachers in the five essential components of effective reading instruction, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency and comprehension. Professional development and technical assistance will be provided for the duration of the grant funding period.
Kentucky's state application for funding passed a rigorous review by a panel of reading experts, selected by U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, the National Institute for Literacy, the National Research Council and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Step-by-step technical assistance will be offered throughout the grant writing process to support eligible districts and schools. Districts eligible to apply must have one or more schools with greater than 50 percent below-proficient students in reading based on the Kentucky Core Content Test. Districts also must meet one of the following alternative criteria:
· District has jurisdiction over a geographic area that includes an area designated as an empowerment zone or an enterprise community.
· District has jurisdiction over a significant number or percentage of schools that are identified for school improvement under section III6(b) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
· District has the highest numbers or percentages of children in the state who are counted by the USDOE under Section II24(c) of Title I of the ESEA.
A competitive grant process will be established for the eligible districts. District applications will undergo a rigorous review by a panel of state reading experts. Approximately 70 schools will be selected to receive about $150, 000 annually for six years, beginning in 2004.
Based on the above criteria, the following districts will be eligible to apply for Kentucky Reading First funds:
Adair Co.
Allen Co.
Ashland Ind.
Augusta Ind.
Barbourville Ind.
Bardstown Ind.
Bath Co.
Bell Co.
Bellevue Ind.
Bourbon Co.
Bowling Green Ind.
Boyle Co.
Breathitt Co.
Breckinridge Co.
Bullitt Co.
Caldwell Co.
Carter Co.
Casey Co.
Christian Co.
Clark Co.
Clay Co.
Clinton Co.
Covington Ind.
Danville Ind.
Dawson Springs Ind.
Dayton Ind.
Eminence Ind.
Fairview Ind.
Fayette Co.
Fleming Co.
Floyd Co.
Fulton Co.
Garrard Co.
Graves Co.
Green Co.
Greenup Co.
Hardin Co.
Harlan Co.
Harrison Co.
Harrodsburg Ind.
Hart Co.
Henderson Co.
Henry Co.
Hickman Co.
Hopkins Co.
Jackson Co.
Jackson Ind.
Jefferson Co.
Jenkins Co.
Jessamine Co.
Kenton Co.
Knott Co.
Knox Co.
Larue Co.
Laurel Co.
Lawrence Co.
Lee Co.
Leslie Co.
Letcher Co.
Lewis Co.
Lincoln Co.
Livingston Co.
Logan Co.
Madison Co.
Magoffin Co.
Marion Co.
Martin Co.
Mayfield Ind.
McCreary Co.
Middlesboro Ind.
Montgomery Co.
Monticello Ind.
Morgan Co.
Muhlenberg Co.
Newport Ind.
Nicholas Co.
Ohio Co.
Owen Co.
Owsley Co.
Pendleton Co.
Perry Co.
Pike Co.
Pulaski Co.
Robertson Co.
Russell Co.
Russellville Ind.
Scott Co.
Union Co.
Warren Co.
Washington Co.
Webster Co.
West Point Ind.
Whitley Co.
The Kentucky Department of Education's Web site (http://www.kentuckyschools.org) will provide additional resources and information about the Kentucky Reading First Initiative.
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