INDIANAPOLIS — New data from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) shows nearly one in five Hoosier third graders did not achieve reading proficiency on a recent assessment.
The Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) is a timed, multiple-choice only assessment consisting of three separate test segments. It is taken by all third grade students in accredited Indiana schools and measures foundational reading skills, including students' ability to read and understand grade-level text.
Test results from the spring and summer assessments show 18.8 percent of students did not achieve proficiency.
An IDOE analysis shows "a significant literacy gap widening among Indiana’s racially and ethnically diverse, low-income, special education and English learner students."
“Literacy is vital to ensure Indiana’s students are prepared to explore and experience a variety of pathways, and that’s why we’re working to empower Indiana’s schools and educators with research-based, proven strategies to support our students as they learn to read," said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education, in a news release.
IDOE says it will partner with participating schools to train literacy coaches to help local educators implement Science of Reading-based instruction in their classrooms. That training is expected to begin in Summer 2022.
To find data for your child's district and school, click here.
