2 schools score 100% IREAD passage rates

Two Wayne County schools had all their third and/or second graders pass Indiana’s most recent reading test. Some others weren’t far behind.  

Rose Hamilton Elementary School, part of Centerville-Abington Community Schools, and Community Christian School in Richmond, both earned 100% on the 2023-2024 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination, or IREAD, assessment. 

Northeastern Wayne Elementary was next at 94.9%, followed by Seton Catholic at 90.5%. 

Centerville-Abington, Hagerstown, Western Wayne and Richmond Community Schools’ Charles and Crestdale elementaries were all in the 80s.  

Indiana Department of Education released ILEARN results on Aug. 14. With an 82.5% statewide passage rate, third graders had the largest single-year increase since the test began in 2013. Results improved 0.6 percentage points over the 2022-2023 school year.

State officials have set a goal of achieving a 95% IREAD passage rate by 2027. 

Testing for second grade

For the third year, schools had an opportunity to proactively administer the IREAD assessment to their second graders at no cost. Of the younger students, 59% passed or were on track for passage by the end of third grade. 

IDOE says that tactic has already proved successful at providing educators and families with an early indicator of whether interventions were needed. 

Of the second graders who were at risk in 2022-2023, 56% passed this year.   

Beginning with the current school year, all second graders will participate in IREAD. They can participate in both the spring test and the summer retest before entering third grade.  

Demographics

Beyond overall results, IDOE also analyzes results in various ways. 

It notes that specific populations are seeing improved growth. Literacy rates for Black students, special education students and youth receiving free/reduced price meals have increased for three consecutive years.  

For example: 

• 88.2% of general education students passed, compared to 57.1% of special education students.
• 84.7% of non-English learners passed, compared to 63.6% of English learners. 
• 88.5% of students who provide their own meals passed, compared to 76% of those qualifying for free/reduced price. 
• White students had the highest passage rate (88.3%) followed by Asian (86.3%), multiracial (83%), American Indian (79.9%) and native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (73%). Black and Hispanic students were tied at 68.6%.
• RCS, which has the county’s most diverse student population, somewhat mirrored those statistics. White students had RCS’ highest passage rate (76.9%), followed by multiracial (71.7%); Black (66.7%) and Hispanic (33.8%). 

New programs funded

Indiana General Assembly, federal pandemic relief funds for education and Lilly Endowment have contributed a combined $170 million toward literacy improvements. 

For instance, the state has provided nearly 180,000 hours of learning support and tutoring services to more than 20,000 students through Indiana Learns, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

Indiana Learning Lab has grown from 6,000 users in 2021 to nearly 60,000 users just two years later. It includes a new Parent and Family Support Hub that provides free 24/7 access to resources for parents and families to support their student’s learning.

And, teachers can sign up for additional training, called Keys to Literacy, at no cost to them.

“Ensuring Hoosier students are able to read is key to not only the future of Indiana, but to the individual success of every child,” said Gov. Eric Holcomb in a news release. “The historic literacy investments we have made over the past several years are beginning to show return on investment, which is a testament to the hard work of teachers, families and students in every corner of our state. Let’s keep this positive momentum going.”