STATEHOUSE (Sept. 5, 2025) – State Reps. Danny Lopez (R-Carmel) and Hunter Smith (R-Zionsville) 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.
Lopez 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 progress reflects the dedication of Indiana's teachers and the resilience of our students," said Lopez, who noted that literacy rates for all student populations also improved. "We'll keep building on this momentum to ensure every child can read proficiently and is set up for success."
Smith 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.
"It's great to see our IREAD scores moving in the right direction and Hoosier students getting back on track academically," said Smith, a member of the House Education Committee. "All of the hard work by our teachers, students and families is paying off."
Locally, Carmel Clay Schools achieved a 95 percent IREAD pass rate and Zionsville Community Schools achieved a 97 percent IREAD pass rate.
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. Danny Lopez (R-Carmel) represents House District 39,
which includes a portion of Hamilton County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Hunter Smith (R-Zionsville) represents House District 24,
which includes portions of Boone and Hamilton counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
