In Malden, Healey-Driscoll Administration announces investment in early literacy

On December 20, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced at the Mystic Valley YMCA an award of $850,000 to four organizations to increase access to evidence-based and culturally responsive literacy supports for Massachusetts preschoolers, enhancing school readiness and future academic achievement. These initiatives include coaching and professional development for districts focused on universal preschool and identifying preschool language and literacy assessments for districts to use, as well as creating a Preschool to Kindergarten Transition Toolkit to support children of all abilities. Also on December 20, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw, Malden Mayor Christenson and State Representatives Steven Ultrino and Paul Donato visited preschool classrooms to see an early literacy lesson, as well as discuss how the state’s Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI) is supporting Malden to expand access to high-quality preschool in public and community-based settings.

“Literacy is foundational to a student’s ability to succeed in school and beyond,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Our administration is committed to improving early literacy—and we’re starting by expanding this effort into our preschool classrooms. We’re taking a data-informed approach to push effective literacy strategies, high quality curriculum, and professional development that can improve learning outcomes for all of our students.”

“Our administration is approaching early literacy with urgency. We’re committed to investing in programs that support our younger students and ensure they are using materials and strategies backed by evidence,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll.

“The Healey-Driscoll administration is prioritizing evidence-based early literacy because of the simple, yet profound reality that establishing literacy skills early is not only foundational to the remainder of that students’ education, it is foundational to the remainder of his or her life,” said Secretary Tutwiler. “I am proud that our agencies are working together to further expand efforts to our preschoolers, setting up our youngest students for lifelong learning and success. We have to get this right.”

Through a new multipronged, cross-agency effort by the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Administration is increasing access to evidence-based and culturally responsive early literacy programming for EEC programs. Some funding will be used to assess the early education and preschool field to better understand where high-quality literacy materials and professional development should be targeted. Other funds will go toward increasing access to preschool language and literacy assessments so educators can identify where students are struggling and make informed adjustments. This investment will also support the Massachusetts Preschool to Kindergarten Transition Toolkit development to guide planning for children of all abilities across the state’s early education system. Together, these efforts will create more high-quality learning environments and implementation of best practices.

“It is critical we support early education programs and schools to intentionally align policies, curricula and assessments to ensure a smooth transition between preschool and kindergarten – which is essential for a child’s educational success and love of reading,” said Commissioner Kershaw. “Early education is the start of the educational journey for our youngest learners. I am proud to be partnering with our education colleagues and these organizations to develop and provide programs with resources and supports so children can develop the language and literacy skills they need, closing the learning gap before they enter kindergarten.”

This investment in high-quality, effective early literacy programming supports for preschoolers expands DESE’s Mass Literacy initiative. This initiative helps every student to develop language comprehension, fluent word reading, and writing skills for a strong foundation for literacy in grades preK-3. Also, under Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts (GLEAM) and Accelerating Literacy grants, DESE has been offering opportunities for districts to receive multiyear technical support and financial resources for improvements in English Language Arts/Literacy teaching and learning. In the 2022-2023 school year, DESE released the Commonwealth’s own early literacy curriculum, a completely free, high-quality reading foundational skills curriculum for students in pre-K-2, called Appleseed. In an Appleseed district, kindergarten students at or above reading benchmark went from 28% to 85% in just one year.

The $850,000 comes from several funding sources: $700,000 from CCPI funding in the fiscal year 2024 budget and $150,000 through the federal Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5). Through CPPI, EEC funds districts across the state to develop partnerships between the school district and local private EEC programs to expand access to high-quality preschool within the district. Massachusetts was awarded a three-year, $36 million federal PDG B-5 grant in January 2023.

“This is a most important investment as we believe that the key to upward mobility in life is literacy,” said Malden Mayor Gary Christenson. “What makes this investment especially important is that it is targeted toward our preschoolers, which is critical in a city like ours with several community-based partners as well as the Malden Early Learning Center. Thanks to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and our State Delegation for making this possible and for officially announcing it in our community.”

“We are thrilled that the Healey-Driscoll Administration is allocating $850,000 towards early education and literacy programs,” said Representative Donato. “As a long-standing advocate of childhood education, I recognize that it is extremely important to build a strong educational foundation starting from a young age. The children in Malden and in the rest of the state will greatly benefit under the guidance and support of Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary Tutwiler, and Commissioner Kershaw.”

“As an educator and a former school principal, I have seen first-hand how important early literacy is in shaping our children’s future,” said Representative Ultrino. “Here in Malden, we are fortunate to have teachers and staff who are dedicated to helping our students develop these critical, foundational skills. With the additional investment and leadership from Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary Tutwiler, and Commissioner Kershaw, we can ensure that all young students in Malden, and across the Commonwealth, are equipped to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”