STATEHOUSE (Sept. 12, 2025) – St. Joseph County lawmakers 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.
State Rep. Dale DeVon (R-Granger) 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 historic jump in literacy rates is an incredible achievement and we couldn't have done it without everyone working together," DeVon said. "We're focused on ensuring all students are on track to succeed academically."
State Rep. Jake Teshka (R-North Liberty), a member of the House Education Committee, noted that literacy rates for all student populations also improved.
"This unprecedented increase is exciting news for our students and state," Teshka said. "I worked on two pieces of legislation to improve literacy rates and it's encouraging to see these efforts contribute to positive results in the classroom. Thank you to our dedicated teachers, school staff and parents for putting in the time to support our kids."
State Rep. Tim Wesco (R-Osceola) 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.
"These scores are a great turnaround from what we saw just a couple years ago," Wesco said. "Indiana is ensuring that Hoosier students have the skills to excel in school and beyond."
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. Dale DeVon (R-Granger) represents House District 5,
which includes a portion of St. Joseph County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Jake Teshka (R-North Liberty) represents House District 7,
which includes portions of LaPorte, Marshall and St. Joseph counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Tim Wesco (R-Osceola) represents House District 21,
which includes portions of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
