Third grade reading scores jump

School leaders say additional targeted efforts to help Wayne County kids learn to read by third grade are paying off, as about 90% passed a state test checking their progress.

Four of the county’s five public districts and two of its private schools surpassed the state average of 87.3% on the 2024-2025 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment.

Nettle Creek led with a 93.9% passage rate, just surpassing Northeastern Wayne (93.1%). Centerville-Abington (91.5%) and Western Wayne (89.3%) were close behind. Community Christian and Seton Catholic also surpassed 90%.

Indiana Department of Education released the results Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Third grade is a key year for future school success. Research has consistently shown that coming to kindergarten ready to learn and completing third grade reading at grade level means kids are four times more likely to successfully complete high school and have a positive educational experience, said Patti Peterson, executive director of Wayne County nonprofit Every Child Can Read. Peterson also works for Western Wayne News.

Kelly Plank, Western Wayne’s new superintendent, is “incredibly pleased” with Western Wayne Elementary’s results. She called 2024-2025 “a crucial year” for the school.

Plank said WWS invested significant time and resources into a new curriculum as well as enhanced intervention that ensured every student received support to build a more robust reading foundation.

“We expect to see tremendous growth in the coming years and will continue to focus on a culture of continuous improvement,” Plank said.

Several districts celebrated growth.

While Richmond Community Schools’ overall passage rate was 80.2%, some of its individual schools scored near their county peers. RCS’ district-wide pass rate also jumped from 69.7% in 2024 and 69.05% in 2023, which affirms that their focused efforts are working, said Superintendent Curtis Wright.

RCS educators also celebrate several buildings’ percentage increases from 2024 scores, including Fairview (37.8%), Vaile (19.8%) and Starr (9.4%).

Centerville-Abington Community Schools’ IREAD passing rate increased 4.5% this year. And, 51% of its second graders passed IREAD, up from 37% the previous year.

CACS Superintendent Mike McCoy said there are successes and areas for improvement, but he feels they’re on the right path and learning how to better understand state expectations.

“Having strong teachers who are willing to put the extra effort into getting better will ultimately be a difference maker for CACS,” McCoy said. “We feel strongly that if we strengthen our foundations in earlier grades, it will impact the growth and success we will see in the later grades.”

Data at a glance

IDOE officials say this year’s scores, which increased by nearly 5 percentage points, show an unprecedented increase in third grade literacy rates.

For the first time ever, literacy rates increased for all student populations. 

Also noting Indiana’s third grade literacy rates have now increased for four consecutive years, IDOE officials said in the news release that the state’s strategic, intentional investments in early literacy are working. 

In addition to data for each school, Indiana evaluates performance by categories such as racial/ethnic groups, paid and free/reduced meals, and general and special education.

For instance, 100% of Nettle Creek and Northeastern’s general education students passed IREAD, followed closely by Centerville (97.2%), Western Wayne (95.5%) and Richmond (90.7%).

About two-thirds of special education students in the county’s smaller districts passed. Northeastern led with 16 of 23, or 69.6%; followed by eight of 12 (66.7%) each at Nettle Creek and Western Wayne; and 14 of 22 in Centerville (63.6%). Of Richmond’s 88 special education students, 48, or 54.5%, passed.

For the first time, all of Indiana’s second grade students participated in the IREAD assessment. Some schools opted into a pilot program the year before.

Of Indiana’s second graders who participated in IREAD in 2025, 68% passed or are on track to pass by the end of third grade.

IDOE says the early testing has already proven successful at providing educators and families an early indicator of whether a student is on track to read by the end of third grade. More than 96% of second graders who achieved On-Track in 2024 passed IREAD in 2025.

By testing second graders, educators have identified students needing interventions. More than 65% of second graders identified as at-risk in 2024 passed in 2025.

Educator reactions

Wayne County school leaders told Western Wayne News they enjoy seeing their students’ growth. They attribute those results to hard work and dedication from students and staff. Strong community partnerships also receive credit.

Superintendents and principals say they also expect to see additional successes as they continue focusing on improvement.

Although each school district offers unique instruction, they noted similar strategies.

Professional development for educators: Teachers participated in intensive, ongoing training on the science of reading. It’s a research-based approach to literacy instruction that Indiana officials recently mandated be used in schools. Educators are then delivering evidence-based instruction.

“At Nettle Creek, we are focused on providing meaningful professional development to our educators each week, empowering them to continuously grow and deliver the best possible learning opportunities for our students,” said Superintendent Emily Schaeffer. “Our outstanding teachers and administrators are willing to learn collaboratively and invest in instructional excellence, and it’s this culture that allows our students to thrive.”

Implementation of the Science of Reading curriculum: In 2024-25, several districts adopted a district-wide curriculum that emphasizes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

Wright noted that the new curriculum was implemented in all of RCS’ K-8 classrooms, ensuring consistency and rigor across schools.

Targeted literacy interventions: Tiered supports were implemented to address students’ individual reading needs. Using ongoing assessment data, teachers, reading specialists and interventionists provided small-group instruction and one-on-one tutoring to students who required additional help.

Building administrators and teachers are in constant contact through learning communities where they assess relevant and up-to-date data to adjust learning.

Since joining the Indiana Literacy Cadre in 2023 through a partnership with the University of Indianapolis, Northeastern Elementary has implemented several targeted initiatives, according to Principal Tierney Stevenson. This collaboration allowed the school to hire an instructional coach dedicated to supporting teachers and enhancing classroom practices.

“The staff at NES has embraced the science of reading, participating in ongoing professional development and instructional alignment efforts,” Stevenson said. “Their willingness to be flexible, open-minded, and reflective has been instrumental in driving student success.”

Community partners: One such partner is Every Child Can Read, which is singularly focused on all children reading at grade level by the end of third grade. What started out as the Third Grade Academy, a summer literacy program, has become a year-round initiative that builds kindergarten readiness and third grade literacy. ECCR helps to build the foundations of reading for all Wayne County children by increasing access to books and encouraging caregivers to read 20 minutes a day.

During the 2024-25 school year, RCS identified first- through third-grade students needing extra reading support. ECCR provided certified teachers to work one-on-one or in small groups with students at Girls Inc. of Wayne County and the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Jeffers, First Bank and McDaniel units. In spring and summer 2025, 63 and 60 students, respectively, were enrolled in ECCR tutoring programs.

ECCR’s additional partners this fall include Townsend Community Center Inc., Vaile, Starr and Fairview elementaries.