USI receives $1 million Lilly Endowment grant to promote literacy through teaching

The University of Southern Indiana has been awarded a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its initiative, Advancing the Science of Reading in Indiana (ASRI). Funding will support several initiatives within USI’s Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education through its Teacher Education Program, ultimately, aiming to strengthen literacy in the state.

USI is one of 28 Indiana colleges and universities receiving grants from Lilly Endowment to support efforts integrating Science of Reading-aligned principles into teacher preparation programs.

The Science of Reading, as defined in statute (IC 20-18-2-17.5), encompasses explicit, systematic inclusion of five essential components—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Supported by evidence, it informs the development of proficient reading and writing, addresses difficulties some students face and guides effective assessment and teaching methods. Successful implementation leads to increased student competency in phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary development, oral language skills, reading comprehension and writing/spelling.

USI’s grant funded efforts will include revising teacher education curriculum to incorporate the Science of Reading approach to better equip prospective P-12 teachers. Additionally, funding will be used to establish a literacy resource center at the University and broaden clinical experiences in reading instruction for USI students.

“The support from Lilly Endowment positions USI to expedite the transition to the Science of Reading approach and expand our opportunities for teacher candidates,” says Dr. Tori Colson, Assistant Dean of the Pott College and Associate Professor of Education. “The grant provides support for resources such as faculty development in Science of Reading, innovation technology such as Mursion and GoReact, and licensure preparation vouchers for the new literacy licensure test. These supports and resources will provide a solid foundation for reshaping how USI prepares teacher candidates to teach reading.”

Lilly Endowment launched the Advancing the Science of Reading in Indiana initiative in 2022. It compliments a statewide effort undertaken the same year by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to improve reading achievement in K-12 schools by helping current teachers implement Science of Reading-aligned principles in their classrooms. In 2022, the Endowment made a $60 million grant to the IDOE to support that work with school districts and teachers across Indiana.

“It is imperative that more of Indiana’s elementary students learn to read proficiently, and it is essential that current teachers and the next generation of teachers are prepared to use proven principles to teach reading in their classrooms,” says Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s Vice President for Education. “We are pleased therefore to help Indiana colleges and universities strengthen the use of these research-based principles to teach reading in their teacher preparation programs.”