STATEHOUSE (Sept. 11, 2025) – Hamilton 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.
House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) 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.
"I'm thrilled to see our students making strong, consistent progress in reading," Huston said. "This significant increase helps ensure Indiana's kids are on track for success and is exactly what we hoped to see following targeted policies and support to prioritize literacy in the classroom. Secretary Jenner and her team are providing tremendous leadership and guidance to our schools and educators, and I'm grateful for the hard work and dedication of Indiana's teachers, families and students."
State Rep. Danny Lopez (R-Carmel) noted that literacy rates for all student populations also improved.
"This progress reflects the dedication of Indiana's teachers and the resilience of our students," Lopez said. "We'll keep building on this momentum to ensure every child can read proficiently and is set up for success."
"Shoring up our students' literacy skills has been a total team effort, and I'm glad to see these measures are working," said State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers). "There's always room for improvement, and state leaders will continue evaluating options that help keep Hoosier children on track academically."
State Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler (R-Noblesville) 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.
"Indiana's reading scores are back on track thanks to our hardworking teachers, students and parents," Shonkwiler said. "This is a big accomplishment, and I hope we continue to see even more improvement in such a fundamental life skill."
State Rep. Hunter Smith (R-Zionsville) 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.
"It's great to see our IREAD scores moving in the right direction and Hoosier students getting back on track academically," Smith said. "All of the hard work by our teachers, students and families is paying off."
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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House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) represents
House District 37, which includes a portion of Hamilton County.
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State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) represents House District 88,
which includes portions of Hamilton, Hancock, Madison and Marion counties.
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State Rep. Danny Lopez (R-Carmel) represents House District 39,
which includes a portion of Hamilton County.
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State Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler (R-Noblesville) represents House District 29,
which includes a portion of Hamilton County.
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State Rep. Hunter Smith (R-Zionsville) represents House District 24,
which includes portions of Boone and Hamilton counties.
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