At today’s State Board of Education meeting, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced an approximately $10 million federal Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant received in partnership with the University of Notre Dame and WestEd. The grant is part of a national investment to accelerate literacy achievement across the country. Indiana is one of only 10 states receiving an EIR grant this year, joining the nation’s leading states in advancing scalable, research-backed literacy practices.
“We are thrilled that Indiana has been selected for this highly competitive federal award,” said Governor Mike Braun. “Through a partnership between the state of Indiana, higher education, and community-based organizations, we can ensure more Hoosier students, in every corner of our state, are building the foundational literacy skills that prepare them for lifelong success.”
Indiana’s proposal, grounded in strengthening evidence-based literacy instruction and returning education to the states, will support the statewide expansion of high-impact tutoring aligned to the science of reading. Leveraging Notre Dame’s research, infrastructure, and proven Tutor-ND model will serve more Hoosier students, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Tutor-ND expands access to high-quality tutoring for students; it focuses on building capacity in schools and community organizations through training grounded in how students learn best.
“Central to our state’s continued improvement in literacy is bringing everyone to the table to identify and deploy solutions,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “This grant will help us accelerate student learning through targeted, high-impact tutoring, deepen our commitment to the science of reading, and better support educators and students across all 92 counties. We are grateful for this opportunity and eager to get to work for Indiana students!”
Notre Dame’s collaborative approach to high-impact tutoring has demonstrated strong early outcomes, particularly in early literacy, aligned to Indiana’s statewide science of reading priorities. Notre Dame will serve as the implementation and research-practice partnership hub, providing infrastructure, continuous improvement, and operational support to ensure the model reaches the students who need it most. WestEd will serve as the independent evaluator, conducting rigorous evaluation to assess impact and support scalability.
“The Tutor-ND program reflects the University’s long-standing commitment to expanding educational opportunities through data-driven practices and partnerships that strengthen communities,” said University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. “We are deeply grateful for the generosity of the Department of Education, which will allow Tutor-ND to broaden its crucial support for educators and students across Indiana.”
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