May 12, 2025
Over $37 million in READ Act funding is available to Minnesota schools this year—money that can directly improve literacy outcomes if used strategically.
What the READ Act funding covers
The 2024-25 funding cycle allocates $32.8 million to literacy curriculum and instructional materials, plus an additional $4.4 million to support data infrastructure and aligned training.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Curriculum & Materials: Approved, evidence-based core programs
- Assessment Tools: Aligned screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring solutions
- Professional Development: Training in structured literacy for teachers and specialists
- Technology & Data: Systems to manage and report on literacy progress, interventions, and plans
Smart strategies for using READ Act funding
The most successful districts treat funding not as a one-time boost, but as a chance to build sustainable systems for literacy improvement.
Here’s how:
- Invest in scalable tools: Choose solutions that support both current literacy goals and long-term district priorities.
💡 This might look like adopting a platform that supports reading assessments today and expands to MTSS tracking, SEL initiatives, or broader academic interventions tomorrow.
- Prioritize data visibility: Use tools that help teams visualize student progress across subjects, schools, and grade levels.
💡 For instance, educators could use a central platform to review phonics data, progress monitoring scores, and reading benchmark trends across an entire district—all in one place.
- Focus on interventions that work: Equip educators to track interventions in real time and adjust instruction as needed.
💡 This might include tracking goal progress for individual students, attaching notes or artifacts from reading interventions, and using visual data to guide reteaching or tier movement.
How Otus helps Minnesota school districts maximize impact
Otus helps districts turn READ Act goals into daily instructional decisions.
Here’s how:
- Track Progress Across the Whole Child
Monitor academic, attendance, and behavioral data in one place, making it easier to build structured literacy plans, document interventions, and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
- Make Student Support Clear and Connected
Otus brings students, families, teachers, and support teams together with a shared view of progress—making it easier to coordinate support and help every learner move forward.
Ready to make the most of your READ Act funds? Click below to learn more about how Otus can help with your literacy goals.
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