Laura Hack
IREAD-3 results for 2023 show little change from 2022, with about 1 out 5 third graders in Indiana still falling behind when it comes to reading ability.
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) reported Wednesday that 81.9% of Indiana third graders passed the exam this year, compared to 81.6% in 2022 and 87.3% in 2019.
At a local level 80.1% of Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. third graders passed IREAD in 2023, compared to 80.4% in 2022 and 86.5% in 2019.
“We do have some celebrations,” said BCSC Director of Elementary Instruction Laura Hack. “We want to make sure that we recognize that we do have schools that held steady, like (CSA) Lincoln Elementary, and we do have schools that have gains from years before. Now, we have to remember that these are not cohorts, so this is not one score following a group of students. These are new students in a new grade level with new curriculum and new materials.”
Hack commended schools for using data to identify and address students’ needs.
For the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp., 88.9% of third graders passed IREAD, compared to 89.7% in 2022 and 94.1% in 2019. The district’s passing rate in 2021 was 86.8%.
“Overall, we’re encouraged by the growth that our kids are showing,” said Flat Rock-Hawcreek Superintendent Shawn Price.
According to IDOE, a passing score demonstrates proficiency in foundational reading skills based on the Indiana Academic Standards through grade three. The state’s data shows that IREAD proficiency was already declining pre-COVID, before sharply dropping from 87.3% in 2019 to 81.2% in 2021. The test was not administered in 2020.
“Today, nearly one in five Indiana students is unable to read by the end of third grade,” said Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner in an official statement. “This is a crisis that could have a long-term negative impact on Indiana’s economy and negative repercussions throughout our society. We have no time to waste, and together, we must urgently work to improve reading outcomes for Indiana students, including supporting both current and future educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to teach our students to read using evidence-based literacy instruction, rooted in science of reading.”
IDOE officials said that the state is working to address the issue in a number of ways.
For instance, Indiana legislators voted earlier this year to pass HEA 1558. According to WFYI Indianapolis, the new law requires public and charter schools to adopt new curriculum utilizing the science of reading method.
“The science of reading is a collection of evidenced-based practices that provide educators with the skills needed to identify sounds and letter correspondence based on the way human brains process language,” WFYI reported. “The practice still incorporates the five components of reading – phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension.”
The new law also requires that Indiana’s accredited teacher-prep programs at colleges and universities must switch to a science of reading curriculum, and teachers who receive their licenses after June 30, 2025 must earn a state literacy endorsement in the science of reading.
“Following the science of reading, we know we need to have strong instructional pieces around phonics and phonemic awareness,” said Hack. “We also know we need our students to be fluent. And these three pieces can help them build vocabulary as well as help build comprehension as they move up in grades.”
She added that BCSC is encouraging their teachers to be well-versed in the science of reading so that their knowledge carries over to student instruction.
Another way the school corporation seeks to address literacy is through Book Buddies, a volunteer-based tutoring program that helps second and third graders in BCSC improve their reading skills.
The program is currently looking for volunteers. A sign-up form and more information is available on the Book Buddies Bartholomew County Facebook page.
Hack also said that families can support schools’ work by reading to their children and finding opportunities in everyday life to help them learn, such as pointing out messages on billboards, using local library resources and even just talking with them.
“Foundational reading skills, they’re empowering for our students because they need to be able to navigate not only today, but their future,” said Hack. “They need to be able to access information. They need to be able to communicate effectively. And we want them to continue their own personal growth, and reading enhances all of that. So I truly believe that reading lays the foundation for today and tomorrow.”
Price said that individualized instruction and “tiers of support” through their title program are some of the tools that Flat Rock-Hawcreek uses to address student literacy.
“Catching those early interventions, I think, are key to some of our success,” he said.
