STATEHOUSE (Aug. 26, 2025) – State Rep. Dave Hall (R-Norman) is 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.
Hall 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.
He thanked Indiana's education leaders, schools, teachers and families for their dedication to help Indiana students achieve these results.
"Seeing our third graders rebound and return to pre-pandemic reading levels is encouraging," said Hall, who noted that literacy rates for all student populations also increased. "Strong reading skills open the door to lifelong learning and success."
Hall 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.
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. Dave Hall (R-Norman) represents House District 62,
which includes all of Brown County, and portions of Monroe and Jackson counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
