STATEHOUSE (Sept. 3, 2025) – Hancock 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. Cory Criswell (R-Middletown) 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.
"The commitment from educators and parents across Indiana to improve this fundamental skill is clearly paying off," Criswell said. "I will work to keep supporting Hoosier children on their learning journey to ensure this progress continues."
State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) noted that literacy rates for all student populations also improved.
"Shoring up our students' literacy skills has been a total team effort, and I'm glad to see these measures are working," Jeter said. "There's always room for improvement, and state leaders will continue evaluating options that help keep Hoosier children on track academically."
State Rep. Ethan Lawson (R-Greenfield) 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.
"The collaboration between schools, teachers, families and state leaders has made a difference for our students," Lawson said. "These results reflect the hard work of so many to support our students and help them succeed."
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.
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. Cory Criswell (R-Middletown) represents House District 54,
which includes portions of Hancock, Henry, Rush and Shelby counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) represents House District 88,
which includes portions of Hamilton, Hancock, Madison and Marion counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Ethan Lawson (R-Greenfield) represents House District 53,
which includes portions of Hancock and Madison counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
