Innovative Approaches to Literacy 84.215G

The Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor), is soliciting applications in support of the administration of the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program supports high-quality programs designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade in high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools. IAL promotes innovative literacy programs that support the development of literacy skills in low-income communities, including programs that (1) develop and enhance effective school library programs, which may include providing professional development for school librarians, books, and up-to-date materials to high-need schools; (2) provide early literacy services, including pediatric literacy programs through which, during well-child visits, medical providers trained in research-based methods of early language and literacy promotion provide developmentally appropriate books and recommendations to parents to encourage them to read aloud to their children starting in infancy; and (3) provide high-quality books on a regular basis to children and adolescents from low-income communities to increase reading motivation, performance, and frequency. By expanding access to high‐quality books, strengthening school library programs, and promoting early language and literacy development in low‐income communities, the IAL program directly advances the goal of increasing reading proficiency. These strategies build strong foundational skills from birth through adolescence, ensuring that children and students—particularly those in high‐need LEAs—receive the targeted supports necessary to improve their reading motivation, performance, and long‐term literacy outcomes.