Tennessee Literacy Month Celebrated with $35M District Grants

Tennessee Celebrates Literacy Month During March

Monday, March 02, 2026 | 12:45pm

Awards $35M in District Grants for Literacy Acceleration

Nashville, TN– Throughout March, the Tennessee Department of Education invites all Tennesseans to celebrate Tennessee Literacy Month, proclaimed by Governor Bill Lee. During March, the department will highlight the importance of literacy, including investments of $35M of grant funds to prepare students to flourish and thrive in any pathway they pursue.

March Literacy Month kicks off with Read Across America Day today, March 2, marking the start of Read Across America Week (March 2-6). This week and month, the department and Riley the Reading Raccoon will celebrate the work happening to boost literacy scores by visiting schools across the state. Tennesseans are encouraged to join the conversation on social media throughout the month using hashtags like #TNReadingForALL and #ReadLikeRiley. Additionally, families can practice reading at home using the Interactive Decodables.

Tennessee was awarded $27.5 million from the federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant to support adolescent literacy for 54 Tennessee school districts. This grant is designed to support high-quality instructional materials and evidence-based literacy practices to support all students in grades 5-12 and was made available to all districts through a competitive application process. The department commends these districts for their commitment to literacy and their ongoing work to support student success.

“I am thrilled about the CLSD grant funds to further grow and spark a lifelong love of reading to students across Tennessee,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “Thank you to our district and school leaders, teachers, families, elected officials, and communities for their dedication to building a solid foundation for literacy. This March Literacy Month, I encourage everyone across the state to celebrate by picking up a book and reading together.”

In addition, the department recently awarded $7.65 million to approximately 70 school districts to support tutoring programs. These state dollars are direct investments to provide structured learning support to students who benefit from tutoring. From K-2 literacy support through the Early Literacy Tutoring Grant to innovative K-8 ELA and 4-8 math tutoring through the Tennessee Tutoring Innovation Grant, districts are accelerating student growth across Tennessee!

Tennessee’s literacy rates continue to make historic strides statewide, thanks to the strategic investments made by Gov. Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, including the passage of the 2021 Tennessee Literacy Success Act, which has been pivotal in providing resources and supports to teachers and students. The 2025 ELA TCAP results showed a 41% of student proficiency, which is an increase of 2 percent from the 2024 results. In addition, the 2024 Nation’s Report Card results further demonstrated Tennessee’s improvements, with student proficiency ranking in the top 20 states nationwide, in both 4th and 8th grade reading.

Additionally, the department is continuing to support early literacy instruction through the Early Literacy Network 2.0 with regional convenings, virtual learning sessions, and asynchronous modules specifically designed for school leaders and teachers. During these sessions, district and school leaders and teachers engage in high-quality foundational skills of professional development and collaborate on ways to improve practices in their districts.

Learn more from the department's website on how Tennessee is equipping teachers and families with online resources and engaging with the public to accelerate literacy.

For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact EDU.MediaInquiries@tn.gov.