Database: IREAD-3 reading proficiency exam pass rates for Indiana schools

Reading competency for Indiana’s third graders is flat compared to the previous year and remains near the lowest point in a decade.

Results of the 2023 assement show little growth in crucial reading fundamentals like phonics and comprehension. The scores continue an ongoing literacy decline that began before students faced school closures and dramatic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statewide, 81.9 percent of the 82,000 third graders at public and private schools passed the 2023 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination – or IREAD-3. Nearly 15,000 students did not pass.

Passing the IREAD-3 assesment a crucial milestone to show whether a student can learn through reading beginning in the fourth grade. Research has found a clear correlation between achieving reading proficiency by the end of third grade and students' ability to absorb and retain knowledge effectively.