(INDIANAPOLIS) — Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders comments on reports today from the Indiana Department of Education showing unprecedented growth in third grade literacy rates based on the 2024-2025 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment.
Statewide, results reveal that 73,500 of Indiana’s third grade students – or 87.3% – demonstrated proficient reading skills on the IREAD assessment. This is an improvement of nearly five percentage points over results for the 2023-2024 school year, which is the largest single-year increase since the launch of IREAD in 2013.
“Building our talent pipeline starts at the earliest stages of education,” says Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders. “These results are a testament to the priority Indiana has placed on improving reading skills and the collective efforts of so many.”
She adds, “Building a K-12 education system that prepares all children for economic success is one of six key pillars in Indiana Prosperity 2035, our economic vision plan for the state. In particular, achieving a 90% reading proficiency rate by third grade is one of the education pillar’s main goals. These are positive developments, and we look forward to working with employers, educators and legislators to continue this momentum.”
With this nearly five percentage point jump, Indiana’s third grade literacy rates have now increased for four consecutive years.
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The Indiana Chamber partners with 25,000 members and investors – representing over four million Hoosiers – to achieve the mission of “cultivating a world-class environment which provides economic opportunity and prosperity.”
