Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant: Literacy Lead Agency

The California Department of Education is offering a Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant to enhance literacy initiatives. This $38 million fund aims to build local capacity for literacy programs that involve families and communities, focusing on vulnerable children. Over four years, the grant will support professional learning in evidence-based literacy instruction and the development of literacy plans, ultimately improving student literacy outcomes across California.

Purpose
The California Department of Education (CDE) invites county offices of education (COE) to apply for funding to 1) Expand and enhance alignment of local and state literacy initiatives to build state and local capacity over the life of the project and 2) Build local capacity to establish, align, and implement local literacy initiatives that emphasize family and community involvement to address the needs of California’s most vulnerable children.
Description
In 2024, the California Department of Education (CDE) was awarded $38 million in Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant funds to expand and enhance existing statewide infrastructure, guidance, and expertise to increase coherence to the system of literacy supports to improve student outcomes over a period of five years. Ninety-five percent of the funds allocated for the CLSD Grant Program are to be awarded as subgrants to consortia of COEs (also referred to in this Request for Applications [RFA] as LLAs) to align local and state literacy initiatives through a coordinated effort to build state and local capacity over the life of the grant, and to build local capacity to establish, align, and implement local literacy initiatives that emphasize family and community involvement to address the needs of California’s most vulnerable children. Grantees will provide professional learning in evidence-based literacy instruction and the development of literacy plans to partner districts and schools with a focus on increasing teacher knowledge and application of evidence-based literacy instruction, literacy coaching for paraprofessionals, teachers, coaches, and administrators, as well as improved student literacy outcomes as measured by local and statewide literacy assessments. The CDE plans to issue three subgrants totaling $36.1 million, based upon merit, to consortia of COEs (amount for each subgrant detailed below). The grant period will be approximately four years, from December 1, 2025, through September 30, 2029. (Timelines are subject to change. Please visit the 2025 CLSD web page for the most accurate timeline.) Note: Grant funding availability is contingent on planned allocations from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to the CDE for distribution to grantees and upon the California Budget Authority.