U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is seeking answers from the Department of Education (DeptEd) on how federal funds are being used to improve child literacy and if they are being used effectively.
Under the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) program, states can apply to DeptEd for grant funding to improve literacy instruction and provide resources to students who struggle to read. In awarding grant funds, DeptEd must give priority to state educational agencies that will use funds to implement evidence-based activities that “demonstrate[] a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other relevant outcomes.”
A March 2023 report found that between late 2022 and early 2023, “at least 225 [school] districts [had] spent over $1.5 million on new books, trainings and curriculums linked to three cueing.” Three-cueing is an instructional method that teaches children to guess words they don’t know based first on pictures and sentence structure. Multiple reports have concluded that three-cueing is ineffective in teaching reading and has even contributed to the declining literacy among school-age children.
Last year, DeptEd issued a notice seeking public comment on a proposal to adopt additional performance report metrics for the CLSD program. In the notice, DeptEd admitted that its vetting process for grants was inadequate, stating “the current OMB-approved ED generic grant performance report does not include fields to capture program (subgrantee) demographic data or performance measures to ensure grantees are meeting statutory and regulatory requirements and making progress toward meeting the goals and objectives of their approved projects.”
According to the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) study, two-thirds of 4th and 8th graders are unable to read proficiently. Given these troubling statistics and concerns over improper use of federal funding, Cassidy is seeking answers on how DeptEd ensures CLSD dollars are used effectively and in accordance with evidence-based requirements and priorities.
“When DeptEd awards CLSD grants, it must ensure that awards are granted to those implementing the highest quality reading programs. It must also ensure that grantees and subgrantees spend funds responsibly and in a manner consistent with DeptEd’s requirements,” wrote Dr. Cassidy. “Funds appropriated by Congress to improve literacy must not be used on frameworks that are contributing to the very problem we, as a nation, are trying to solve—poor reading scores.”
“Despite these requirements, it is unclear whether [state educational agencies and local education agencies] are using CLSD funds in ways that are consistent with DeptEd’s requirements when reports suggest a need for strong program oversight,” continued Dr. Cassidy. “Congress must know whether DeptEd is conducting appropriate vetting and oversight to ensure that CLSD funds are being spent effectively.”
Earlier this year, Cassidy released a report outlining the severity of declining child literacy and its long-term effects on the nation. Specifically, the report contrasted three-cueing with proven methods that provide students explicit instruction in the five key pillars of literacy. These methods are based on a body of evidence-based research, called the “science of reading.”