Indiana Department of Education & Notre Dame awarded nearly $10 M in federal grant to strengthen literacy

At today’s State Board of Education meeting, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced an approximately $10 million federal Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant received in partnership with the University of Notre Dame and WestEd. The grant is part of a national investment to accelerate literacy achievement across the country. Indiana is one of only 10 states receiving an EIR grant this year, joining the nation’s leading states in advancing scalable, research-backed literacy practices.

“We are thrilled that Indiana has been selected for this highly competitive federal award,” said Governor Mike Braun. “Through a partnership between the state of Indiana, higher education, and community-based organizations, we can ensure more Hoosier students, in every corner of our state, are building the foundational literacy skills that prepare them for lifelong success.” 

Indiana’s proposal, grounded in strengthening evidence-based literacy instruction and returning education to the states, will support the statewide expansion of high-impact tutoring aligned to the science of reading. Leveraging Notre Dame’s research, infrastructure, and proven Tutor-ND model will serve more Hoosier students, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Tutor-ND expands access to high-quality tutoring for students; it focuses on building capacity in schools and community organizations through training grounded in how students learn best.