STATEHOUSE (Aug. 26, 2025) – State Reps. Craig Haggard (R-Mooresville) and Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville) 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.
Haggard 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.
"These gains in reading skills are a testament to the hard work happening in classrooms across Indiana," said Haggard, who noted that literacy rates for all student populations also improved. "Early literacy is key to helping students thrive in every subject."
Mayfield 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.
"Strong reading skills give children confidence and set them up for success in life," Mayfield said. "I'm grateful for the Hoosier educators, parents and families who made this milestone possible."
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. Craig Haggard (R-Mooresville) represents House District 57,
which includes portions of Hendricks, Johnson and Morgan counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville) represents House District 60,
which includes portions of Johnson, Morgan and Monroe counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
