OAR 581-017-0808: Early Literacy Success School District Grants: Grant Administration

(1) Eligible applicants with more than one elementary school shall prioritize distribution of funding and resources to a school or schools based on the school(s) meeting one or more of the following characteristics: (a) have the lowest rates of proficiency in literacy of elementary schools in the district; (b) identified for comprehensive support and improvement or for targeted support and improvement under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (P.L. 114-95, 129 Stat. 1802) based in part on literacy score; (c) have literacy proficiency rates that have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels; or (d) have a higher portion of student groups that have historically experienced academic disparities compared to other elementary schools in the district. (2) Rates of proficiency shall be determined using multiple sources of data which shall include state Language Arts summative assessment data and, for eligible applicants who serve English Language Learners, English Language Proficiency Assessment data and may include interim, benchmark, Language Arts proficiency and other early literacy assessments of student proficiency in literacy in any language. (3) The Oregon Department of Education shall verify that districts complied with sections (1)-(2) of this rule by requiring in the grant application an explanation of how funding and resources were distributed across schools within the district and how prioritization was determined. The Department shall evaluate this information within the application narrative and budget. (4) The Department, informed by grantee applications and reporting, may identify specific interventions and technical assistance to be provided statewide or regionally through education service districts, where resources are available to do so. (5) Rules will be applied by ODE for grant administration of the Early Literacy Success Initiative beginning July 1, 2025.