Marion County legislators praise IREAD scores increasing for fifth consecutive year
STATEHOUSE (Aug. 13, 2026) – Marion County lawmakers are celebrating Hoosier students' scores on the 2026 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination assessment rising for the fifth consecutive year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis), chair of the House Education Committee, said more than 88% of Hoosier third graders passed IREAD, a nearly 1.5 percentage point increase from last year. It's the second-largest single-year increase since the test was implemented.
"All stakeholders in our children's education have worked hard to ensure Hoosier students are proficient in reading, and Indiana's IREAD scores continue to show those efforts are paying off," Behning said. "I commend our teachers, school administrators and families for these results, and look forward to even more progress."
State Rep. Andrew Ireland (R-Indianapolis), a member of the House Education Committee, noted that literacy rates for every student population are now higher than before the pandemic.
“Five straight years of gains prove that high standards and proven instruction work,” Ireland said. “Indiana stopped making excuses, embraced the science of reading and focused help on struggling students before they could fall further behind. Our teachers, parents and students deserve tremendous credit.”
State Rep. Julie McGuire (R-Indianapolis), a member of the House Education Committee, co-authored a law in 2023 establishing science of reading standards and delivering focused support to Indiana students facing the most significant reading difficulties. Additional legislation bolstered the Indiana Department of Education’s literacy cadre program to ensure schools with fewer than 70% of students passing IREAD receive additional resources and support.
"Catching students who are struggling academically earlier leads to far greater success later," McGuire said. "Focusing on those in need of additional support is leading to these remarkable gains, and we want to continue that momentum."
State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) said in the current state budget, Indiana increased K-12 tuition support by $640 million, a 5% increase over the biennium, to its highest level yet. Nearly half of our state budget goes toward K-12 education (47%). Indiana also expanded its school choice scholarship program, empowering all Hoosier families to choose the school environment that is best for their students.
"Indiana is making record investments in K-12 education while giving families more opportunities to find the right learning environment for their children," Jeter said. "These continued gains in reading are encouraging and show the results of these investments. We will keep working to ensure every Hoosier student has an opportunity to thrive."
Results from the 2026 IREAD for individual schools and corporations are available on IDOE's website. Click here to learn more about the state's literacy standards.
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State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) represents House District 91,
which includes a portion of Marion County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Andrew Ireland (R-Indianapolis) represents House District 90,
which includes a portion of Marion County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) represents House District 88,
which includes portions of Hamilton, Hancock, Madison and Marion counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Julie McGuire (R-Indianapolis) represents House District 93,
which includes a portion of Marion County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
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