INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO) — Indiana’s third-grade reading proficiency rate has climbed for the fifth consecutive year, with nearly 89% of Hoosier students now demonstrating the reading skills expected by the end of third grade.

New 2026 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination, or IREAD, results show 88.7% of third graders were proficient readers this year. That’s an increase of nearly 1.5 percentage points from the previous school year and a 7.5-point increase since 2021.

The latest results also put Indiana’s statewide literacy rate above its pre-pandemic level.

Governor Mike Braun called the continued improvement evidence that Indiana’s focus on literacy is producing results.

“Our reading scores haven’t just recovered from the pandemic—they’ve surged,” Braun said. “Five consecutive years of literacy gains show what’s possible when we stay focused on getting every Hoosier child on the path to success.”

The 2026 increase represents the second-largest single-year gain since IREAD began.

Indiana’s literacy performance had been declining almost every year before 2021, with the COVID-19 pandemic worsening what state officials described as a longstanding literacy crisis.

The newest data show improvement across nearly every student population between 2025 and 2026.

Black students recorded one of the largest gains, with proficiency increasing by 4 percentage points over the past year and 18.1 percentage points since 2021. Their 2026 proficiency rate reached 80.1%, putting the group within one percentage point of its highest reading level on record.

Hispanic students also posted a significant increase, with proficiency rising 3.7 percentage points from 2025 to 2026 and 11.2 points since 2021.

Students receiving special education services saw their proficiency rate increase 2.3 percentage points over the past year and 14.5 points since 2021.

Students receiving free or reduced-price meals also recorded gains for the fifth consecutive year, increasing 1.5 percentage points from 2025 and 11.5 percentage points since 2021.

English learners, after three relatively flat years, have now posted gains for two consecutive years. Their proficiency rate has increased by nearly 11 percentage points over the past two years.

State officials say the gains also are showing up at individual schools.

Forty percent of Indiana elementary schools — 511 schools statewide — reached the state’s goal of having at least 95% of students reading proficiently.

The number of schools reaching that benchmark has more than doubled since 2023.

Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner said the continued gains are significant following the historic improvement recorded last year.

“After historic gains last year, seeing these results increase again for the fifth consecutive year is truly remarkable,” Jenner said.

She credited educators, parents and students while saying the state’s next challenge is making sure the gains reach students who continue to struggle with reading.

State officials say that includes students in special education as well as older students who have not yet mastered foundational reading skills.

The state is also using second-grade IREAD results as an early warning system.

For the second consecutive year, all Indiana second graders took the IREAD assessment. The goal is to identify students who are on track to pass the third-grade assessment and those who may need additional help before reaching third grade.

In 2026, 69% of second graders either passed IREAD or were considered on track to pass by the end of third grade.

More than 95% of students who were identified as on track last year went on to pass the assessment in 2026.

The early warning system also showed progress among students who had been considered at risk. More than 61% of second graders identified as at risk last year ultimately passed IREAD this year after receiving additional support.

Another part of Indiana’s literacy strategy is the Indiana Literacy Cadre, a partnership involving the state, the University of Indianapolis’ Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning and Marian University’s Center for Vibrant Schools.

The program provides early elementary teachers with instructional coaching and support based on the science of reading.

About 770 schools have participated in the Literacy Cadre to date.

Schools participating during the most recent school year saw a 2.3 percentage-point increase in the percentage of students passing IREAD. State officials say that increase was nearly four times larger than the gain recorded by schools that did not participate in the program.

The Literacy Cadre is supported through Indiana’s largest-ever financial investment in literacy, announced in 2022.

Indiana also continues to partner with Lilly Endowment Inc. on an investment of up to $240 million for early literacy development.

While reading scores are improving, Indiana’s newest results also establish a new starting point for measuring student performance in other subjects.

The state released its 2026 Indiana Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network, or ILEARN, results for students in grades three through eight.

Forty-two percent of Indiana students were proficient in English/language arts, while 42.7% were proficient in math.

Those numbers cannot be directly compared with ILEARN results from previous years.

That’s because 2026 marks the first year all students in grades three through eight took the redesigned ILEARN assessment.

The assessment was changed following two state laws that required Indiana to streamline and prioritize its K-12 academic standards and redesign the state’s testing system.

House Enrolled Act 1251, passed in 2022, required the state to prioritize and streamline academic standards in core subjects.

House Enrolled Act 1243, passed in 2024, directed Indiana to redesign ILEARN from a traditional summative test into a through-year assessment.

The new system includes three checkpoints during the school year followed by a shortened summative assessment.

State officials say the redesign is intended to give educators and parents more timely information about where students are succeeding and where they need additional support.

The 2026 ILEARN results are considered a new baseline because the assessment, academic standards and performance cut scores have changed.

District- and school-level ILEARN results are expected to be available in September.

Indiana’s latest literacy results come as state officials continue to emphasize early reading as a key indicator of future academic success.

For now, the statewide IREAD numbers show that 88.7% of Indiana third graders have reached reading proficiency — up from the pandemic-era lows and marking five consecutive years of improvement.