BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has been awarded $15 million to lead a multi-year study on increasing the impact of high-dosage tutoring for students in Louisiana and across the nation. This competitive grant, awarded through the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program, recognizes Louisiana’s leadership in advancing evidence-based literacy solutions. It follows years of targeted investment by Louisiana lawmakers and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to expand tutoring and improve reading outcomes.
“Louisiana has shown what’s possible when states are trusted to lead,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Education for their confidence in our strategy and for investing in a Louisiana-designed solution to accelerate student literacy.”
Louisiana-Led Initiative
Louisiana’s $15 million award will fund a five-year study designed to expand the impact of high-dosage literacy tutoring for students in grades 1–2 who are reading below grade level. The project will serve approximately 4,500 students across elementary schools in rural, urban, and suburban settings. It will include both traditional public schools and charter schools. The LDOE will prioritize schools with low literacy proficiency rates, with at least 25 percent being in rural settings.
The LDOE will lead the project by coordinating with schools, selecting participating sites, managing partnerships, tracking student progress, and sharing results with the public.
Key partners include:
- Air Reading: Delivering tutoring and training tutors through its Teacher Academy
- Studyville: Aligning Louisiana-based curriculum
- Johns Hopkins University: Providing independent evaluation
- Louisiana higher education institutions: Recruiting college tutors
“Air Reading is deeply honored to have supported tens of thousands of Louisiana students and witnessed their tremendous growth,” said Air Reading CEO Xing Zhang. “We're thrilled to partner with the LDOE on this important research work—providing more students with access to high-dosage tutoring and learning what works across different communities so every student can thrive for years to come.”
“Studyville is excited to partner with the Louisiana Department of Education to continue building our ReadingImpact literacy tutoring curriculum,” said Studyville CEO Amanda Martin. “We are building on Louisiana’s gains in literacy and showing the nation what’s possible.”
"We are honored to serve as the independent evaluator for this important work,” said Johns Hopkins University Deputy Director of Evidence Research Amanda Neitzel. “This rigorous evaluation will demonstrate the power of partnership. When a state education agency, a tutoring provider, and local districts align, students benefit. The results of the study will offer a roadmap for scaling evidence-based tutoring statewide, and I’m excited to see what we learn together.”
Advancing Louisiana’s Reading Revival
Louisiana has improved to 16th in the nation for 4th grade reading on The Nation’s Report Card, up from 50th in 2019. The state’s literacy strategy is grounded in strong policy, high-quality training, and targeted student support.
Key elements include:
- Science of reading-aligned instruction: Louisiana adopted a phonics-based approach that transformed how reading is taught and gave educators tools to help students thrive.
- High-dosage tutoring: Louisiana has been a national leader in expanding this research-based practice, which provides intensive support to students who need it most.
- Parent engagement: Louisiana continues to equip parents with tools and resources to support reading at home and monitor their child’s progress.
- Strong policy foundation: Acts 520 and 517 (2022) established a universal K–3 literacy screener and required high-quality, research-based instructional materials. Bulletin 741 ensures all students are screened three times a year to identify and address reading gaps early.
- Sustained legislative investment: Louisiana lawmakers have committed $70 million over the past two years to expand high-dosage tutoring during and outside the school day.
“Receiving this grant is an exciting validation of the work happening across Louisiana,” said Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jenna Chiasson. “It enables us to expand tutoring that is evidence-based, responsive to students, and focused on reading success.”
Returning Education to the States
Louisiana’s proposal was selected as part of ED’s efforts to prioritize evidence-based instruction, educational choice, and state-led innovation.
“As we return education to the states, my top priority is strengthening literacy outcomes in schools across America,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, who launched her Returning Education to the States Tour in Louisiana earlier this year. “Every dollar from this year’s EIR awards will support the use and expansion of evidence-based literacy instruction, expand education choice, and empower grant recipients to build and sustain high-quality literacy support systems for students. This is a huge opportunity for states to lead, and they are rising to the occasion.”
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