Education Department makes evidence-based literacy a 2026 priority
The U.S. Department of Education is making evidence-based literacy a central focus of its 2026 grantmaking, research agenda and technical assistance, the agency said on September 9, 2026.
The strategy does not create one new nationwide reading law or a single literacy funding package. Instead, it uses existing federal programs to emphasize reading instruction, teacher preparation, research and support for schools and communities.
What the department says has already been funded
The department reported nearly $500 million awarded through 49 Education Innovation and Research grants over the previous two years. Seventeen of those awards went to state educational agencies, according to the department.
It also cited $256 million in non-competing Comprehensive Literacy State Development continuation awards for 24 states, the Outlying Areas and the Bureau of Indian Education. Those continuation awards support ongoing state literacy efforts rather than representing a new competition open to every school or district.
The department said it awarded four new Innovative Approaches to Literacy grants totaling more than $16 million. The program supports literacy activities for children and students from birth through 12th grade in high-need local educational agencies and schools. Eligible activities can include school libraries, books, early-literacy services and family or community literacy programs.
The department’s separate program materials describe estimated fiscal 2026 Innovative Approaches to Literacy funding of about $16.8 million and 25 to 35 expected awards. That broader program estimate should not be treated as proof that all of those awards had been made or that it refers to the four awards highlighted in the September 9 announcement.
The department also described a $3.7 million award for the National Center on Academic Interventions, which it said includes evidence-based literacy instruction as a required component. That funding is separate from the EIR, CLSD, IAL, TQP and SEED figures.
What remains anticipated
Some of the largest figures in the department’s announcement were not finalized awards as of September 13.
The department anticipates approximately 12 new Teacher Quality Partnership awards totaling roughly $70 million. The program supports partnerships involving higher education institutions and school systems to prepare teachers. The department is using its literacy priority to emphasize eligible activities; it did not say that all TQP funding would be exclusively literacy funding.
It also anticipates approximately 16 new Supporting Effective Educator Development awards totaling roughly $90 million. The SEED program supports evidence-based practices that prepare, develop or enhance educators’ skills and allows eligible applicants to develop, expand and evaluate models that could be sustained and disseminated.
Department program materials estimate that SEED award announcements could be made on or before September 30, 2026. Until recipients and projects are announced, the dollar amounts remain anticipated rather than completed awards.
Why the policy matters for schools and families
The administration describes the approach as a response to a national reading problem and places particular emphasis on evidence-based instruction and the Science of Reading. Those statements describe the department’s policy direction and rationale; they do not by themselves show that every funded intervention has independently demonstrated effectiveness.
The department’s formal supplemental-priorities page lists Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy as a priority that may be used in discretionary grant competitions when it fits the underlying program. That means the priority can influence which proposals receive emphasis, but it does not automatically turn every Education Department grant into a literacy grant.
Independent education reporting provides context for the policy focus. Education Week, citing NWEA MAP Growth data and related national assessment evidence, reported in August that middle-school reading performance remained at post-pandemic lows. The report said sixth-grade scores for lower-performing students continued to decline while scores for stronger readers largely flatlined after 2022.
For families, the immediate effect will depend on state agencies, districts, colleges and nonprofit groups that receive or use federal support. A federal announcement does not guarantee that every school will receive new money, adopt the same curriculum or change instruction on the same timetable.
Schools may see more grant opportunities favoring high-quality instructional materials, teacher coaching, literacy research, family engagement and preparation for educators. States and districts will decide how those priorities fit with their own reading plans, budgets and academic standards.
What to watch next
The next concrete test is the expected announcement of SEED and Teacher Quality Partnership recipients by September 30, 2026. The recipients, project descriptions and geographic distribution will show how broadly the department’s literacy emphasis is reaching.
For now, the department’s strategy is best understood as an alignment of existing federal programs. It signals where officials expect discretionary education funding to go, while national reading outcomes remain a separate question that will require time and independent assessment.
Sources
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