Education Code section 53008.5
(a)
The sum of two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for the Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Grant Program, which is hereby established, in the manner and for the purposes set forth in this section. Funds appropriated for this purpose are available for encumbrance through June 30, 2031.(b)
(1)Of the amount appropriated in subdivision (a), two hundred twenty-five million ($225,000,000) shall be allocated by the department to local educational agencies for schools eligible pursuant to paragraph (2), to develop school literacy programs, employ and train literacy coaches and reading and literacy specialists, and develop and implement interventions for pupils in need of targeted literacy support. Local educational agencies may opt not to participate in the program described pursuant to this subdivision by informing the department, by September 30, 2022, and via a form provided by the department, of their intent to decline program funds for their eligible schoolsites. Local educational agencies who receive funding pursuant to this section may also be eligible for the Reading and Literacy Supplementary Authorization Incentive Grant Program.(2)
Of the amount identified in paragraph (1), the department shall compute an amount per pupil enrolled in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3, inclusive, at each eligible schoolsite, such that no local educational agency shall receive less than four hundred fifty thousand dollars ($450,000) per eligible schoolsite. Grant amounts shall be determined using 2021–22 school enrollment data determined as of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 Certification. Local educational agencies receiving an allocation of funds pursuant to this paragraph are encouraged to use these funds over the full grant period, through June 30, 2031. For purposes of allocations and apportionments under this paragraph, a locally funded charter school shall be included with the chartering authority.(3)
On or before June 30, 2024, and again on or before June 30, 2027, a recipient local educational agency shall submit an interim report to the department, and a final report on or before June 30, 2031, detailing how it used funds awarded pursuant to this subdivision. The department shall create a reporting template for the purposes of this requirement no later than December 31, 2022. Specifically, these reports shall include:(A)
How funds were used to employ literacy coaches and reading and literacy specialists for its eligible schools.(B)
How funds were used to develop and implement school literacy programs.(C)
How expenditures impacted pupils’ literacy achievement, including for pupil subgroups.(D)
How the local educational agency plans to continue to fund literacy coaches and reading and literacy specialists past the award period.(E)
Other metrics as determined by the department.(4)
On or before July 30, 2024, and again on or before July 30, 2027, the department shall provide the interim and final reports submitted by recipient local educational agencies to the grantee selected pursuant to subdivision (c) for an independent evaluation pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 53008.7.(5)
On or before December 31, 2025, again on or before December 31, 2028, and again on or before December 31, 2032, the department shall provide a comprehensive report to the Department of Finance, the state board, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of both houses of the Legislature summarizing the data collected pursuant to paragraph (3) of this section and paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 53008.7.(c)
(1)Of the funds appropriated pursuant to subdivision (a), twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) shall be available for the department, in collaboration with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and subject to the approval of the executive director of the state board, to select a county office of education, through a competitive process, to develop and provide training for educators to become literacy coaches and reading and literacy specialists. The department shall prioritize applicants with demonstrated success in improving literacy, especially among underperforming pupil subgroups, as well as for those planning on partnering with institutions of higher education with demonstrated success in providing statewide professional development for expert literacy practice. Applicants who participate in the training established pursuant to this subdivision may also participate in the Reading and Literacy Supplementary Authorization Incentive Grant Program.(2)
The grantee selected pursuant to paragraph (1) shall do all of the following:(A)
Consider the preparation program standards set by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for reading and literacy in developing the standards for educator training developed pursuant to this subdivision.(B)
Offer professional learning to educators at schoolsites funded pursuant to subdivision (b) and, as capacity allows, to other schoolsites.(C)
Provide funding for participating educators to pursue a Reading and Literacy Added Authorization, a Reading and Literacy Leadership Credential, a Bilingual Specialist Authorization, or any combination of those.(3)
Resources and training for literacy developed pursuant to this subdivision shall be coordinated with other state- and federally funded literacy initiatives to reduce duplication of effort and provide coordinated, streamlined access to literacy professional development and resources for educators and school leaders that are aligned with the curriculum framework for English Language Arts/English Language Development adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 60207, the English Learner Roadmap, the Literacy Roadmap, and the use of data to support effective instruction.(d)
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(1)
“Eligible schoolsite” means an elementary schoolsite operated by a local educational agency with an unduplicated pupil percentage of 97 percent or greater for pupils enrolled in kindergarten and grades 1 to 3, inclusive, based on 2021–22 Fall 1 census day pupil data submitted through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System. The unduplicated pupil percentage for a schoolsite shall be calculated by the sum of the number of unduplicated pupils eligible for free and reduced-price meals, English language learners, and youth in foster care, divided by each schoolsite’s total enrollment for kindergarten and grades 1 to 3, inclusive.(2)
“Employ” means that a local educational agency, to the extent feasible, will hire a new literacy coach, reading specialist, or both, train existing staff to become a literacy coach, or support existing staff in obtaining a reading specialist credential or authorization. Funds shall not be used to support the salaries of existing literacy coaches and reading specialists.(3)
“Local educational agency” means an elementary or unified school district, county office of education, or charter school.(4)
“School” and “schoolsite” means an elementary school of a local educational agency.(5)
“School literacy program” means a program that includes all of the following:(A)
A school literacy plan that includes goals and actions to improve literacy acquisition for pupils in preschool, if applicable, and kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3, inclusive. The plan shall identify metrics to measure progress toward the goals and actions.(B)
At least one literacy coach or reading and literacy specialist per school to support educators and pupils in improving literacy instruction and pupil outcomes.(C)
Increased access to evidence-based literacy instruction, through strategies, including, but not limited to, any of the following:(i)
Providing bilingual reading specialists to support dual language acquisition and English language development programs.(ii)
Developing and implementing culturally responsive curriculum and instruction.(iv)
Providing professional development for educators and school leaders regarding implementation of the curriculum framework for English Language Arts/English Language Development adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 60207 and the use of data to support effective instruction.(v)
Establishing an evidence-based family literacy initiative, which may include, but is not limited to, any of the following:(I)
Family literacy plans that identify literacy and biliteracy goals, benchmarks, and roles for all family members.(II)
Family literacy home visiting programs, including, but not limited to, “promotora” family literacy outreach specialists. Local educational agencies may establish literacy and biliteracy home visits to engage families in how to best support their pupils and every family member in reaching their literacy goals.(IV)
Public library family literacy partnerships, including, but not limited to, digital tools to support whole family literacy.(e)
For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2020–21 fiscal year, and included within the “total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIIIB,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 2020–21 fiscal year.
Source:
Section 53008.5, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EDC§ionNum=53008.5. (updated Jul. 9, 2026; accessed Jul. 20, 2026).
