State Rep. Jake Teshka (R-North Liberty) responded to the latest results from Indiana’s 2024-2025 IREAD assessment, which showed an 87.3% reading proficiency rate among third graders. This marks a nearly 5% increase and is the largest single-year gain since the assessment began in 2013.
“The increase in third grade literacy rates is incredible news. Our third-graders are demonstrating meaningful progress across all student populations. At the Statehouse, we’ve worked very hard to help schools and teachers prioritize reading skills and these collective efforts are getting results. Thank you to our dedicated educators, families and students who are putting in the time and dedication to achieve success. This is a total team effort from everyone in our state. I hope to see this trend continue and keep Indiana at the forefront of education progress,” Teshka said.
Teshka has supported several laws aimed at improving literacy in Indiana. In 2023, he authored legislation that set science of reading standards and provided targeted support for students with significant reading challenges. The following year, he sponsored Senate Enrolled Act 1, which offered a broad approach to helping students reach reading proficiency by focusing on curriculum, assessment, remediation, and retention.
Indiana’s recent performance on national education measures reflects these efforts. According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Indiana moved up to sixth place nationally for both fourth and eighth grade reading scores.
Additionally, WalletHub ranked Indiana eighth nationwide for best education environment (https://wallethub.com/edu/e/states-with-the-best-schools/5335).
