IPS to use $10.5 million grant to strengthen reading skills at school and home

Indianapolis Public Schools will receive a $10.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment over the next five years to expand literacy efforts across the district.

IPS will use the money to increase reading interventions, expand tutoring and train teachers in evidence-based reading instruction. Officials say the initiative will serve around 18,500 students and build support both in the classroom and at home.

Only 20.8% of IPS students passed the English language arts portion of the ILEARN exam this year — the lowest rate among Marion County's 11 school districts.

“We’re not only deepening our commitment to foundational literacy in our IPS elementary schools, but we’re also building a system of support that extends beyond the classroom and into the home,” Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said in a statement. “It’s a bold, research-driven approach that will help us reach thousands of students with the targeted, evidence-based instruction they deserve. This is exactly the kind of collaboration our children need — and deserve — to thrive.”

Key elements of the program include virtual tutoring for struggling second- and third-graders and a pilot program to support English-learning families. Teachers will also receive professional development in evidence-based reading instruction.

The district aims to improve IREAD-3 pass rates, boost early literacy scores, increase third-to-fourth grade promotion rates and ultimately place more students on track for success after high school. 

The funding is part of the Lilly Endowment's Marion County K-12 Public Schools Initiative, which aims to boost academic achievement and postsecondary success for students across Indianapolis.

This grant is part of a broader effort by the foundation to support literacy programs in Marion County. A separate initiative will provide funds for private schools in Indianapolis.

Lilly Endowment is one of several financial supporters of IPB News — a collaboration of the state’s nine public media newsrooms and a shared statewide team based at WFYI.