Springfield College Receives $56,225 Grant for Early Literacy Preparation Programs
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield College Department of Education has been awarded a $56,225 grant from the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation to support its early literacy preparation programs.
The funding supports a project that will partner the college’s teacher candidates with HILL for Literacy, a leading Massachusetts literacy organization that collaborates closely with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and school districts across the state.
Together, the two groups will provide 10 professional learning sessions for the college’s teacher candidates focused on curriculum literacy and the effective implementation of high-quality instructional materials, with a particular focus on Core Knowledge Language Arts, a curriculum used by many of the college’s district partners.
The work will be embedded directly into the required literacy coursework during the 2026-27 academic year. In the fall, Springfield College’s undergraduate students in education will participate in a sequence focused on understanding curriculum design and instructional coherence. In the spring, the sophomore cohort will continue into a second sequence focused on implementation, differentiation, and responsive instruction for diverse learners.
In addition to supporting candidate learning, the grant includes funding for interdisciplinary research, student participation in a spring conference presentation, and an end-of-year symposium that will bring together campus leaders, district partners, literacy organizations, and state-level stakeholders to share findings and lessons learned.
“I am particularly excited to receive this external support at an important moment in the continued evolution of our educator preparation programs,” said Mark McCarthy, associate professor of Literacy Education and chair of the Department of Education. “The project aligns closely with statewide literacy initiatives while creating meaningful opportunities for our students, faculty, and regional partners.”
