STATEHOUSE (Aug. XX, 2025) – State Reps. David Abbott (R-Rome City) and Chris Judy (R-Fort Wayne) 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.
Abbott 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."
Judy noted that literacy rates for all student populations also improved.
"By focusing on reading skills and providing earlier interventions for students at risk of falling behind, Indiana is taking meaningful steps to address literacy challenges," Judy said. "We're seeing real returns on those efforts, and I'm grateful to our teachers for implementing and guiding that success."
Abbott 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.
Judy 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.
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.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Chris Judy (R-Fort Wayne) represents House District 83,
which includes portions of Allen and Whitley counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
