STATE FUNDING GUIDE

Rhode Island

The Right to Read Act requires Rhode Island educators to demonstrate proficiency or awareness in the science of reading, and RIDE pairs it with a statewide push for high-quality instructional materials. No dedicated recurring state literacy fund was identified; the main literacy money flowing to districts is RI READS — subgrants from RIDE’s $40 million federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant awarded in August 2024, with $6.5 million to 23 LEAs in the first implementation year. Districts otherwise typically rely on federal Title I/IDEA for intervention purchases.

Rhode Island Right to Read Act (2019)

How schools fund reading intervention in Rhode Island

The state-level programs below are the streams Rhode Island districts most often use for evidence-based reading intervention purchases, alongside the federal streams available everywhere.

RI READS (CLSD) subgrants via RIDE

LEAs apply to RIDE for competitive RI READS subgrants (funded by the five-year federal CLSD award) to implement high-quality, science-of-reading-aligned literacy programming, including professional learning and curriculum implementation support across early childhood, elementary, and secondary levels.

Federal Title I / IDEA (default)

No dedicated state-appropriated literacy grant line for districts was identified for 2024-2026; districts typically braid federal Title I/IDEA funds with general state education aid for Tier 2/3 reading intervention purchases.

Approved-list note: Under RIGL 16-22-31, all RI LEAs must adopt high-quality core ELA curriculum from RIDE’s approved lists, but the approved-list mandate covers core curriculum rather than supplemental intervention programs.

Official state resource →