STATEHOUSE (Aug. 15, 2025) – Marion 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. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis), chair of the House Education Committee, 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.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment that couldn't have happened without the efforts of our teachers, students and families," Behning said. "Given how much work has been done to help Hoosier kids recover academically following the pandemic, these results prove our strategies are paying off."
State Rep. Julie McGuire (R-Indianapolis), a member of the House Education Committee, noted that literacy rates for all student populations also improved.
"These scores are a remarkable turnaround from even just a few years ago," McGuire said. "We know that reading is fundamental to learning, and Indiana is quickly emerging as a national leader in education policy."
State Rep. Andrew Ireland (R-Indianapolis), a member of the House Education Committee, 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.
"These results are impressive and show that when schools focus on the fundamentals, students win," Ireland said. "Our priority must remain on getting back to the basics and ensuring that every child masters them early."
State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) 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.
"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."
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. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) represents House District 91,
which includes a portion of Marion County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Andrew Ireland (R-Indianapolis) represents House District 90,
which includes a portion of Marion County.
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. Julie McGuire (R-Indianapolis) represents House District 93,
which includes a portion of Marion County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
