STATEHOUSE (Aug. 27, 2025) – State Reps. Stephen Bartels (R-Eckerty) and Chris May (R-Bedford) 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.
Bartels 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.
"Improving literacy in schools has been a strong focus of the General Assembly for the last few years, and it's encouraging to see these results from our schools and students," said Bartels, who noted that literacy rates for all student populations also increased. "Thank you to the students, teachers, parents and all those who dedicate their time and support to educating the next generation."
May 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.
"We are seeing a historic increase in literacy rates among our state's youth, and that is something we should all be excited about," May said. "Ensuring strong reading skills empowers kids to continue learning and contribute meaningfully to communities and society."
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.
-30-
State Rep. Stephen Bartels (R-Eckerty) represents House District 74, which includes
all of Crawford, Perry and Spencer counties, and portions of Dubois and Orange counties.
Click here for a high resolution photo.
State Rep. Chris May (R-Bedford) represents House District 65,
which includes all of Lawrence County, and portions of Jackson, Orange and Washington Counties.
Click to download a high-resolution photo.
