Peabody schools to use PRISM and DESE grants for paid, targeted early-literacy tutoring
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Summary
Superintendent Dr. Vedala told the School Committee the district won a PRISM (Partnership for Reading Success) award and a DESE tutoring grant that together will fund high-dosage, targeted tutoring for pre-K–grade 3 students, with a mix of in-person and virtual options and paid teacher stipends.
Peabody — The Peabody School Committee heard Tuesday that the district has secured multiple grants to expand early-literacy supports for its youngest students. Superintendent Dr. Vedala said the district’s FY26 PRISM (Partnership for Reading Success) allocation is "just over a million dollars," with the largest portion earmarked for high-dosage tutoring for pre-K through grade 3. A separate DESE competitive grant of about $475,000 will fund a virtual tutoring option focused on first graders.
The grants fund two main tutoring models, Superintendent Dr. Vedala said: an in-person, before-school, high-dosage tutoring program delivered by district teachers working through a scripted curriculum partner (Springboard was cited as the outside curriculum partner), and an online, 15-minute daily tutoring service for first graders provided through a vendor named Ignite. "About $700,000 across all of our schools and our integrated preschool will be paid out of the PRISM grant for high-dosage tutoring," Dr. Vedala said. The tutoring will be free to families and include stipends for teachers who serve as tutors.
Committee members emphasized the program’s focus on attendance, alignment with classroom curriculum and transportation concerns. Committee member Mrs. Dunn asked about students who rely on district buses; Dr. Vedala said staff would look into transportation barriers so eligible bus students are not excluded. Committee member Mr. Swanson asked whether virtual, 15-minute Ignite sessions would remove students from core instruction; Dr. Vedala said principals and teachers are working out scheduling so students receive the full literacy block and then a second daily dose of tutoring.
The district will identify students for targeted tutoring through its screening process, Dr. Chase and Dr. Vedala said. Dr. Chase (staff) described the tutoring as "targeted" for students identified via three benchmark screenings per year and said before-school tutoring historically shows higher attendance than after-school options. Dr. Vedala said administrators were still finalizing start dates but expected in-person tutoring to begin in October.
Why it matters: The grants direct new, dedicated funding to early-literacy interventions at a scale the committee described as "significant," with explicit plans to pay teachers to deliver high-dosage instruction and to coordinate the tutoring with each school’s curriculum. Committee members repeatedly framed early reading as foundational to long-term student success.
Details and next steps: District staff will finalize schedules with principals and teachers, address transportation questions for bused students, and continue outreach to families. Staff members acknowledged additional coordination will be needed to integrate vendor sessions with classroom literacy blocks without reducing in-class instruction time.
Sources: Remarks by Superintendent Dr. Vedala and staff member Dr. Chase during the Peabody School Committee meeting, Sept. 9, 2025.
