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Education Department Sends $256 Million to States for Reading Programs, Citing a 'Reading Crisis'

The bulk of the money continues existing state literacy grants; the department says nearly 70% of 4th and 8th graders are not proficient readers.

Meridians Life Desk

Published 11 September 2026 · Updated 11 September 2026 · 4 min read

Education Department Sends $256 Million to States for Reading Programs, Citing a 'Reading Crisis'Education
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The short answer

  • On September 9, 2026, the Department of Education announced $256 million in continuation grants to 24 states, the Outlying Areas, and the Bureau of Indian Education under the Comprehensive Literacy State Development program.
  • Four new Innovative Approaches to Literacy grants were also awarded that week, totaling more than $16 million.
  • The department cites NAEP-based statistics: 12th graders have the lowest reading scores ever recorded, and nearly 70% of 4th and 8th graders are not proficient readers.
  • The announcement also references nearly $500 million in Education Innovation and Research grants across 49 awards over two years, plus separate Teacher Quality Partnership and SEED grants.

The Department of Education announced a round of literacy funding this week, framing it as a response to what it calls a national reading crisis backed by federal test-score data.

What was announced

  • $256 million in non-competing continuation grants under the Comprehensive Literacy State Development program, going to 24 states plus the Outlying Areas and the Bureau of Indian Education
  • Four new Innovative Approaches to Literacy grants awarded this week, totaling more than $16 million
  • Nearly $500 million in Education Innovation and Research grants across 49 awards over two years, 17 of them directed to state educational agencies
  • Separate Teacher Quality Partnership grants (12 new awards, about $70 million) and SEED grants (16 new awards, about $90 million)

Why now

The department's release states that 12th graders today have the lowest reading scores ever recorded, and that nearly 70% of 4th and 8th graders cannot read proficiently. Those figures are drawn from National Assessment of Educational Progress data, per the department.

What it isn't

Most of the headline figure — the $256 million — is a continuation of an existing program rather than new money, since Comprehensive Literacy State Development grants are typically awarded across a period of years. The genuinely new dollars this week are the roughly $16 million in Innovative Approaches to Literacy grants.

Sources

Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.

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Meridians Life Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.

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