How Literacy Launch supports reading success
Literacy Launch is a multi-year initiative is focused on transforming early literacy systems in public schools and community-based preschool programs. The goal is to promote high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction so students learn to read and read well.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration has secured $35 million in state funding for the first two years of Literacy Launch through the Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2026 budgets. The state has also received a $38.4 million federal literacy grant to support these efforts over five years.
Literacy Launch supports reading success in three key ways:
- Providing grants for high-quality reading materials, technical support, literacy screeners, and coaching for teachers.
- Offering free professional development for teachers.
- Speeding up the review of teacher education programs, which are now required to provide evidence-based literacy training.
How Literacy Launch funds early literacy tools, training, and support
Literacy Launch provides multi-year grants called Partnership for Reading Success in Massachusetts (PRISM) grants to help community preschools, schools, and educators across the state. These grants give access to high-quality, research-based reading instruction through materials, technical support, coaching, and teacher training.
PRISM I
The administration awarded $326,477 in January 2025 to 15 school districts to build capacity and strengthen evidence-based instructional practices practice at the classroom and community level. These funds help schools offer professional development for teachers, funds literacy screeners, and supports partnerships with community preschools - focused on system change in districts.
PRISM II
The administration awarded $9.3 million in PRISM II grants in August 2025 to 30 school districts and collaboratives. These funds help schools review their current curriculum and transition to evidence-based, high-quality materials to help students find reading success along with additional professional development and training for teachers.
Literacy Launch Institutes: free professional development for educators
Literacy Launch is funding a new teacher training opportunity, called Literacy Launch Institutes. This opportunity gives teachers four free days of training, where they learn about evidence-based early literacy instructional practices that meet the unique needs of all students and can be incorporated into teaching. Participants earn Professional Development Points (PDPs), and certain participants are eligible to receive a stipend for successful completion of the program. Eligible participants include classroom teachers, special education teachers, English as a second language teachers, school principals and district leaders, higher education faculty and leaders who support teacher education programs in early literacy, and community-based preschool teachers through partnership with their local school district.
The first Literacy Launch Institutes kicked off in in August 2025 for 600 educators in Foxboro and Devens, with plans to expand to other locations around the state in the future. School teams that participated in August 2025 will be eligible to apply for additional support throughout the 2025-26 school year.
How Literacy Launch supports teacher education programs
In Massachusetts, teacher preparation programs must now train future elementary teachers in evidence-based reading methods and Literacy Launch funding is helping update the approval requirements for these programs. The funding is also supporting the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) speed up its review process, cutting the time to review literacy-related teacher licensure programs from eight years to four years.
DESE reviews an average of 30 to 50 programs each year. This year alone, DESE launched reviews of 43 elementary, early childhood, and moderate disabilities licensure programs. By 2028, DESE will have reviewed over 160 programs across 47 teacher preparation organizations.