In 1995, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the Department of Education, and the U.S. Congress created the Ready To Learn Television service with the goal of helping to prepare children to succeed in school.

The original five-year Ready To Learn grant was awarded by the Department of Education to CPB; PBS was a subcontractor to CPB. Over the course of the grant period, PBS assumed greater operational responsibility. The grant ended in March 2000, and the Department issued a request for proposals for a cooperative agreement to continue Ready To Learn .

In September 2000, the Department of Education awarded PBS a new cooperative agreement that contained new priorities and responsibilities. The agreement required a longitudinal, independent evaluation and specified the key elements to be included. Legislation authourizing Ready To Learn was based on the success of several pilot projects across the country.