Cassidy Applauds $15 Million Investment in Louisiana Education

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today applauded a $15 million federal grant awarded to the Louisiana Department of Education through the U.S. Department of Education's Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Expansion program. The funding will support evidence-based literacy initiatives aimed at improving student achievement, particularly for high-need students.

"Strong literacy skills are the foundation for everything that comes next in school and in life," said Dr. Cassidy. "Louisiana has shown real progress, and this funding helps take what's working and expand it so more students can succeed."

Background

The award builds on Louisiana's statewide push to improve literacy and comes as national leaders point to the state's progress. Earlier this year, Cassidy joined U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and education leaders in Baton Rouge for a roundtable on child literacy, where Louisiana's results were highlighted as a model for other states.

According to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, Louisiana is one of only three states where fourth-grade reading scores met or exceeded pre-pandemic levels, and the only state where eighth-grade reading scores fully recovered to 2019 levels. Recently, Cassidy released a report outlining ways to improve child literacy and fix the broken K-12 education system to better serve American children and families. He also is leading the 21st Century Dyslexia Act to promote early screening for dyslexia.

The EIR Expansion program supports the growth of innovative, research-backed approaches that have shown results in improving educational outcomes. Louisiana's award reflects confidence in the state's use of evidence-based classroom strategies that help students build strong foundational skills.

Cassidy has also pushed to give parents more tools to support their children's education, including securing the inclusion of his Educational Choice for Children Act in President Trump's Working Families Tax Cuts bill, giving families more opportunities to choose the school that best fits their child's needs.

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