Indiana’s third-grade literacy rates have officially surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with 88.7% of students demonstrating proficient reading skills during the 2025-2026 school year. This marks the fifth consecutive year of academic gains on the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment.
Continuous Gains in Literacy Rates
The data presented during the Indiana State Board of Education meeting showed a 1.5 percentage point increase over the previous year, representing the second-largest single-year increase since IREAD testing began. This improvement is attributed to targeted investments in early literacy, educator coaching, and evidence-based strategies grounded in the science of reading.
State officials, including Governor Mike Braun and Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner, have expressed their enthusiasm for the progress made in literacy rates. Governor Braun stated, ‘Our reading scores haven’t just recovered from the pandemic—they’ve surged.’ Dr. Jenner emphasized the importance of serving the state’s young children and the role of dedicated educators and communities in achieving this milestone.
Performance Gains Across Demographic Groups
The 2026 assessment data revealed performance gains across every demographic group from 2025 to 2026, pushing all student populations past their pre-pandemic baseline levels. Notable gains include a 4 percentage point increase for Black students, a 3.7 percentage point increase for Hispanic students, and an 11 percentage point increase for English learners over two years.
Additionally, 511 elementary schools, representing 40% of all elementary schools in the state, reached the state’s goal of 95% reading proficiency. The number of schools reaching the 95% target has more than doubled since 2023.
Early second-grade screening and instructional coaching cadres have been identified as primary catalysts for the continuous gains. The Indiana Literacy Cadre, a partnership between the state, the University of Indianapolis, and Marian University, has provided embedded science-of-reading instructional coaching to early elementary teachers in roughly 770 schools.
Original reporting: 93.1 WIBC (Indianapolis) — read the source article.
