INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana third graders have achieved an "unprecedented" increase in literacy rates over the last year, the Indiana Department of Education said Wednesday, Aug. 13.

In announcing the results of Indiana's Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment, the department said third grade literacy rates have jumped nearly five percentage points, marking the fourth straight year with an increase.

Statewide, just over 87% of the state's third grade students showed "proficient" reading skills on the 2024-25 IREAD assessment. That's by far the biggest single-year increase since IREAD launched in 2013 — the previous largest year-over-year increase was under 1%.

"The number of Indiana students learning to read is growing at an unprecedented pace and is yet another example of h

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