For a decade, researchers from the Neag School of Education have worked with the state on an ambitious literacy initiative designed to close Connecticut’s significant achievement gap. Their efforts have proved so successful that now a program that began with a few pilot schools is set for significant expansion to school districts of need across the state.

“My hope is that [Right to Read] continues the trajectory of [the Connecticut Literacy Model],” said Michael Coyne, department head of educational psychology and a professor of special education at the Neag School. The establishment of the center, Coyne explained, is to also coordinate existing efforts and state initiatives related to reading literacy. So instead of reading supports coming out of a district’s turnaround, academic or special education departments separately and independently, this new center at the state education department will align all those efforts together.