BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:iCalendar-Ruby BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:Press Releases DESCRIPTION:INDIANAPOLIS — Today\, Governor Eric J. Holcomb and Indiana Sec retary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner joined Lilly Endowment Inc. to announc e the state’s largest-ever financial investment in literacy\, expanding Ind iana’s commitment to support literacy development for Hoosier students. Thi s combined investment from the state and Lilly Endowment of up to $111 mill ion will support early literacy development using proven teaching strategie s aligned with the Science of Reading.\n\nThe state will:\n\nSupport the de ployment of instructional coaches to schools throughout Indiana\; Offer sti pends to teachers who participate in professional development focused on th e Science of Reading\; Provide targeted support for students who need the m ost help in improving their reading skills\; and Create a literacy center f ocused on Science of Reading strategies.\n\nLilly Endowment has approved a grant of up to $60 million for this effort. These efforts will support the state’s goal of having 95 percent of Indiana’s students achieve a passage r ate on IREAD-3 by 2027.\n\n“Lilly Endowment’s incredible investment today r epresents a long-term commitment to Indiana’s long-term success\,” said Gov ernor Holcomb. “Reading is fundamental to each student’s lifelong opportuni ties\, and it’s foundational to the core of our state’s future. This immens e investment will make an enduring impact on our youngest generation of Hoo siers\, empowering them with fundamental skills that they will carry with t hem throughout their lives."\n\nThe stakes are high because more Indiana st udents must read well in order to support their long-term academic success and the success of the state’s future. Results from Indiana’s statewide thi rd grade reading assessment\, IREAD-3\, indicate that nearly one in five Ho osier students (18.4 percent) have not yet mastered foundational reading sk ills by the end of grade three. These foundational skills set the groundwor k for more robust reading comprehension\, which is essential for future lea rning in later grades and throughout life.\n\nMore concerning is the fact t hat the most recent scores from the state’s summative assessment for grades three through eight (ILEARN) and NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) – tools which measure deeper reading proficiency – indicate that even more Indiana students will need additional support in order to read an d comprehend increasingly complex materials\, conduct research and write ef fectively.\n\nIn 2022\, only 40.7 percent of Indiana third graders and 41.1 percent of Indiana fourth graders passed the English/Language Arts portion of ILEARN. Learning gaps in reading proficiency persist as demonstrated by 2019 NAEP results: only 17 percent of Black students\, 24 percent of Hispa nic students and 24 percent of students from low-income households scored p roficient or better. “Far too few Indiana third graders have the necessary reading skills that they will need for future academic and life success\,” said N. Clay Robbins\, chairman and CEO. “Although we understand that many factors affect reading achievement\, we are compelled by the research showi ng that Science of Reading strategies can help all students learn to read b etter and address equity gaps in reading. Knowing the important contributio ns teachers make every day in their classrooms\, we want to make sure they are fully supported in this important work to help students learn to read w ell.”\n\nLilly Endowment’s grant\, in addition to IDOE’s investment of appr oximately $26 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief ( ESSER) II funds\, aims to provide Science of Reading focused instructional support for educators in partnership with the University of Indianapolis’ C enter of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) and the Hunt Institute .\n\nThe Science of Reading is a research-based strategy that integrates in structional practices with efforts focused around phonics\, phonemic awaren ess\, fluency\, vocabulary and comprehension. Decades of child development and brain research emphasize the need for all of these components to be tau ght to students to ensure they have the reading skills necessary for future academic and life success.\n\nThese funds will:\n\nProvide support to educ ators through instructional coaching in the Science of Reading – Through fu nding from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE)\, 54 schools across t he state are piloting the Science of Reading instructional coaching this fa ll\, with recruitment\, oversight and training provided by CELL. With the a dditional financial support from Lilly Endowment\, IDOE expects to expand t he reach of this effort to about 60 percent of elementary schools by the en d of the 2025-2026 school year. Schools can opt-in to instructional coachin g based on student need and school interest. Provide targeted support for I ndiana students experiencing the greatest reading challenges – Many student s experience reading challenges\, including students in special education\, students of color\, students whose primary language is not English and stu dents from low-income households. Establish a literacy center at IDOE focus ed on the Science of Reading – IDOE will recruit additional staff to provid e Science of Reading technical assistance to schools\, including resources through the Indiana Learning Lab. The literacy center will serve as a one-s top-shop to oversee literacy efforts\, manage research and evaluation effor ts and maintain quality technical assistance for educators. Provide stipend s for teachers who participate in professional development regarding the Sc ience of Reading – As Indiana’s early elementary school educators work to i mplement the Science of Reading in classrooms across the state\, IDOE will provide financial incentives of up to $1\,200 per teacher to allow them to opt in to additional training.\n\nThe state’s team will work with the Hunt Institute\, which has nationally recognized expertise in the Science of Rea ding\, to provide training and content for teachers. In addition\, an advis ory panel of national experts in Science of Reading will regularly advise I DOE on all of these efforts.\n\nFuture teachers entering the state’s elemen tary school system should be prepared to use Science of Reading instruction in their classrooms as well. To that end\, in addition to the $60 million grant to IDOE\, Lilly Endowment will make available up to $25 million to su pport Indiana’s colleges and universities incorporate or enhance Science of Reading methods into their undergraduate elementary teacher preparation pr ograms. Lilly Endowment will provide further information about this initiat ive to Indiana colleges and universities in the coming weeks.\n\n“We know t hat students first learn to read\, and then they read to learn\,” said Dr. Katie Jenner\, Indiana Secretary of Education. “This shift typically occurs after a student’s third grade year. However\, in Indiana\, too many of our students are concluding third grade without foundational reading skills. F ewer still have the reading skills necessary for long-term academic success . As a state\, including our schools and community partners\, we must lean- in to urgently and intentionally address this challenge. In partnership wit h Lilly Endowment\, we have an unprecedented opportunity to provide Indiana ’s educators with the support and tools they need to truly move the needle for Indiana students\, ensuring all students receive the foundational readi ng skills that make all other learning possible\, both in the classroom and beyond.”\n\n-30-\n\n About Lilly Endowment\, Inc.\n\nLilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based\, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly and his sons\, Eli and J.K. Jr.\, through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business\, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts r emain the financial bedrock of the Endowment\, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company\, with a distinct governing board\, staff and locat ion. In keeping with its founders’ wishes\, the Endowment supports the caus es of community development\, education and religion. Although the Endowmen t funds programs throughout the United States\, especially in the field of religion\, it maintains a special commitment to its hometown\, Indianapolis \, and home state\, Indiana.\n\nAbout CELL Created in 2001\, the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapol is focuses on helping educators transform learning\, teaching\, and leaders hip across all of Indiana’s K-12 schools and universities. CELL's work has set them apart by being the leading convener and advocate for innovative ed ucation change in Indiana. By providing leadership that is both cutting-edg e and action-oriented\, CELL is able to foster change across the entire edu cational ecosystem. Through strategic public and private partnerships\, CEL L enables high-quality innovations and opportunities for all of Indiana’s s chools\, educators\, and students.\n\nAbout Hunt Institute The Hunt Institu te has over 20 years of working to provide an equitable education to every child. In 2016\, after 16 years as a nonpartisan leader in K-12 education p olicy and political leadership\, The Institute evolved to broaden its polic y focus to encompass the full continuum\, from prenatal care and early chil dhood to postsecondary education and the workforce. Most recently in 2019\, The Institute expanded its services to include professional development wi th local school districts to bridge policy to practice. In alignment with o ur core beliefs\, The Institute creates meaningful platforms to engage poli cymakers across our work. We are unapologetic about the importance of equit y—in educational access\, quality\, and opportunity— and it is at the core of the work we do. DTSTAMP:20260411T212607Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220818 LOCATION: SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:State of Indiana & Lilly Endowment Announce $111 Million Investment to Support Early Literacy for Hoosier Students UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_40809971281419 URL:https://events.in.gov/event/state_of_indiana_lilly_endowment_announce_1 11_million_investment_to_support_early_literacy_for_hoosier_students END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR