University Receives $750,000 to Enhance Literacy Instruction
Lilly Endowment Inc. has announced the full list of recipients of the implementation grant for the Advancing Science of Reading in Indiana (ASRI) initiative, including Valparaiso University. The University will receive $750,000 over the course of three years to better enhance literacy instruction and align the methods taught with those supported by Science of Reading. Valparaiso University was part of the summer semester group of recipients, and has been working diligently to put that funding to use.
“We have spent several years re-designing our program to align with Science of Reading, and now that we have received the initial Lilly funding, we have begun to really fine-tune and enhance what we do well,” said Benjamin Boche, Ph.D., associate professor of education. “We want to create a pre-service teacher that is knowledgeable in Science of Reading and that can implement it with excellence in the classroom.”
ASRI was launched in 2022 to address low reading achievement observed in students across Indiana. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 33 percent of Indiana fourth graders achieved proficient scores in reading comprehension in tests administered in 2022. As of earlier this year, Indiana school districts are required by state law to adopt curricula that utilize Science of Reading methods.
One of the primary uses of the grant money awarded to Valparaiso University has been to support the pre-service teacher mentorship program. For three weeks, students in the junior year of their education program are required to teach at an area school, including implementing Science of Reading in the classroom firsthand. With this grant, Valpo has brought the mentor teachers hosting these students to campus for professional development in mentorship and Science of Reading to enhance the classroom experience for these future educators.
Other uses of the funding include hosting events, such as November’s Elementary Literacy Workshop, purchasing software to better evaluate the lesson planning and Science of Reading competency of students, and the continuation and support of the Center for Literacy, which began operation in August and has hosted its own monthly professional development programs and workshops.
The implementation grant will run through July 31, 2026. For more information on the planning grant preceding this funding, click here. To find out more about Valparaiso University’s education program, visit valpo.edu/education.