Raatz Roundup: Student Reading Scores Grow Again

By State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond)

In Indiana, one of our top priorities is to ensure our students get a great education so they are prepared for the real world.

Being able to read proficiently is an incredibly important skill for students and provides the groundwork for everything else they will learn in school. If a student cannot read, they cannot learn.

That is why I am pleased to see Indiana's IREAD scores go up again for the fifth year in a row. According to this year's scores, nearly 89% of Indiana students can read by the end of third grade, which is higher than the pre-pandemic levels. This is a 1.5% increase over last year's historically high scores.

This increase in reading proficiency is thanks in large part to Indiana’s implementation of the Science of Reading into classrooms following legislation I spearheaded in 2023. The Science of Reading is based on phonics and creates a structured learning approach for students that has proven to be the most effective way to teach students to read.

I also supported House Enrolled Act 1001 in 2023, which adds increased funding to literacy initiatives in the classroom to better support our students. Before implementing Science of Reading curriculum in our classrooms, Indiana's literacy rates had been declining, but with our scores increasing year-over-year, this program is working. I also coauthored priority legislation in 2024 that placed further emphasis on the Science of Reading, reading assessment, remediation and, as a last resort, retention, to ensure our kids have the time and support they need to be able to read proficiently.

I want to thank teachers, students and parents for the increase in reading proficiency. They are the ones who put in the combined effort to achieve these scores, and they should be proud of this major accomplishment.

As always, I encourage constituents to reach out to me with any questions or concerns by filling out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Raatz website or by calling my office at 800-382-9467.

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State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) represents Senate District 27, which includes
Henry, Union and Wayne counties, and portions of Franklin County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.

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