INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) released the results of the 2022-2023 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) on Aug. 16.
In Indianapolis, most Marion County school districts posted an increase in their ILEARN scores. Warren Township saw their scores increase by more than 5%, the highest of any district in the county.
Meanwhile, other districts saw a slide. IPS posted a 2.2% drop in reading scores. Speedway had one of the worst drops in Marion County with a 3.9% loss in reading proficiency.
IPS released a statement to 13News that read, in part:
"The 2.2% drop in Indianapolis Public Schools’ 2023 IREAD scores from 62.8% to 60.6% (pass rate) further reinforces the need for the investments we have made to date as well as new investments we will make in literacy throughout the district that are critical for student achievement."
Despite some districts showing improvement over previous years, IDOE said nearly one in five students are still struggling to read by the third grade.
"This is a crisis that could have a long-term negative impact on Indiana’s economy and negative repercussions throughout our society," Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner said. "We have no time to waste, and together, we must urgently work to improve reading outcomes for Indiana students, including supporting both current and future educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to teach our students to read using evidence-based literacy instruction, rooted in science of reading.”
Some of the literacy drops have been a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but IDOE said rates have been dropping for at least a decade, long before the pandemic. In total, IDOE said nearly 15,000 third graders will need additional support to meet their grade-level reading standards.
Click here for a full list of the results from IDOE's website.