STATEHOUSE (Sept. 12, 2025) – Elkhart County lawmakers are commending a historic increase in third grade literacy rates for Hoosier students following results from the 2024-2025 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment.
State Rep. David Abbott (R-Rome City) said third grade reading scores improved by nearly five percentage points, which is the largest single-year increase since Indiana launched IREAD in 2013. More than 87% of Hoosier third graders demonstrated proficiency in reading, putting Indiana's literacy rate at this grade level back to pre-pandemic levels.
The lawmakers thanked Indiana's education leaders, schools, teachers and families for their dedication to help Indiana students achieve these results.
"Between our IREAD results and Indiana ranking among the top states in reading, it's clear that we're headed in the right direction," Abbott said. "Hoosier students are developing the skills they need for a bright future."
State Rep. Joanna King (R-Middlebury) noted that literacy rates for all student populations also improved.
"It's great to see Hoosier students turn these scores around and show improvement in such a short time," King said. "This is a result of everyone coming together, from those at home to staff in our schools, to help students gain these critical skills."
State Rep. Doug Miller (R-Elkhart) said these IREAD results follow Indiana placing sixth in the country for fourth and eighth grade reading in the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) rankings.
"Reading is such a fundamental skill and essential to all subjects in school," Miller said. "Our state and teachers really stepped up and brought results-focused, valuable solutions to help these students, and the latest IREAD scores prove they're working."
State Rep. Tim Wesco (R-Osceola) said to improve Indiana's literacy rates, the General Assembly passed a law in 2023 implementing science of reading standards, which is evidence-based instruction that increases students' reading competency through phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency, oral language skills and comprehension. A law passed in 2024 added screenings for students at risk of falling behind on reading proficiency and providing earlier intervention.
"These scores are a great turnaround from what we saw just a couple years ago," Wesco said. "Indiana is ensuring that Hoosier students have the skills to excel in school and beyond."
Results from the 2025 IREAD for individual schools and corporations are available on the Indiana Department of Education's website. Click here to learn more about the state's literacy standards.
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State Rep. David Abbott (R-Rome City) represents House District 18,
which includes portions of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Noble and Whitley counties.
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State Rep. Joanna King (R-Middlebury) represents House District 49,
which includes a portion of Elkhart County.
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State Rep. Doug Miller (R-Elkhart) represents House District 48,
which includes a portion of Elkhart County.
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State Rep. Tim Wesco (R-Osceola) represents House District 21,
which includes portions of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
