Several area schools are being recognized by the Indiana Department of Education for outstanding literacy performance, according to State Rep. Stephen Bartels.
More than 400 schools across the state earned recognition for achieving a 95 percent or higher passage rate on the 2025 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment. The schools were honored during the Literacy Achievement Celebration held at the Statehouse on April 8, 2026.
Southern Indiana schools recognized for their high reading proficiency rates include East Crawford Elementary School, South Crawford Elementary School, Ferdinand Elementary School, Perry Central Elementary School, Nancy Hanks Elementary School, Lincoln Trail Elementary School, Chrisney Elementary School, Luce Elementary School, and St. Bernard Catholic School.
State leaders point to continued efforts to strengthen literacy instruction as a key factor in the improved outcomes. In 2023, legislation known as House Enrolled Act 1558 was supported to implement science of reading standards and provide additional support for students facing reading challenges.
Indiana has seen notable gains in literacy performance in recent years. Third-grade reading scores increased by nearly five percentage points last year, marking the largest single-year improvement since the IREAD assessment was introduced in 2013. More than 87 percent of third-grade students demonstrated reading proficiency, returning the state to pre-pandemic levels.
The state’s progress extends beyond early grades, as Indiana ranked sixth nationally in fourth- and eighth-grade reading in the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
Detailed results for individual schools and districts from the 2025 IREAD assessment are available through the Indiana Department of Education.
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