Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Educator Training Grant Program

The Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Educator Training (LCRSET) Grant Program, administered by the California Department of Education (CDE), is a targeted initiative designed to bolster literacy education across California by training educators to become literacy coaches, dual language literacy coaches, and reading and literacy specialists. The grant supports the broader literacy agenda of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) and aligns with multiple California frameworks and roadmaps for English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD), multilingual education, and continuous professional learning. Authorized under AB 181, SB 114, and AB 121, this third cohort of the LCRSET program is funded with $15 million and focuses on high-need student populations, particularly English learners (ELs) and multilingual learners. The grant invites applications from County Offices of Education (COEs) or consortia of COEs with proven expertise in literacy instruction and multilingual education. A key objective is to enhance the professional development infrastructure across the state by enabling educators to earn added authorizations or credentials in reading and literacy or bilingual education. Applicants must align proposed programs with the ELA/ELD Framework, EL Roadmap, and the California Literacy Roadmap, and demonstrate conceptual clarity, technical feasibility, and sustainability of their training models. The selected grantee must coordinate closely with existing state and federal initiatives to avoid redundancy and provide comprehensive support statewide. Grantees are expected to offer professional learning (PL) opportunities not only to third-cohort LCRS sites but, as capacity permits, to other eligible LEAs as well. This includes technical assistance in developing site-level literacy plans informed by needs assessments and root cause analyses, hosting professional communities of practice, and facilitating statewide events such as webinars and literacy conferences. The program also includes substantial incentives to encourage participation, such as financial support for educators to pursue relevant credentials or authorizations. To ensure coherence with earlier cohorts, the grantee must work in close collaboration with the lead COE for the first two cohorts. Monthly advisory committee meetings with the CDE and other stakeholders are required, as well as routine communication to the public and educational partners. The selected COE or consortium must also partner with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to evaluate the program’s implementation and impact, using both quantitative and qualitative data to assess literacy outcomes for students and professional growth for educators. The grant period spans from June 2026 to June 30, 2029, with funds available for encumbrance through the end of the performance period. Applicants must submit their proposals electronically through the CDE's online system by the deadline posted on the CDE’s LCRSET webpage. Applications must include a narrative, budget forms, letters of commitment (if applicable), a works cited document, and a project timeline. An optional technical assistance webinar will be offered, and all applications will be reviewed by an expert panel using a standardized rubric. Final selection is subject to approval by the Executive Director of the State Board of Education. Eligible applicants must demonstrate previous success in literacy improvement through PL and coaching aligned to state frameworks and standards. While there is no cost-share requirement, allowable costs must clearly support project goals, and non-allowable expenditures include administrative equipment, food, promotional items, and travel outside the U.S. Indirect costs must comply with CDE guidelines. Compliance with audit standards, communication requirements, and materials sharing as open educational resources is mandatory. The grantee must also ensure sustainability by building capacity that extends beyond the grant’s lifecycle.

Align proposal with ELA/ELD Framework, EL Roadmap, and Literacy Roadmap to score strongly; Use specific evidence for prior success in literacy work.