Tuesday, August 18, 2026
One of Senate Republicans' top priorities in Indiana is ensuring Hoosier students get a great education that prepares them for the real world.
An integral part of that education is being able to read proficiently. Since reading is the foundation for everything else a student will learn in school, if a student cannot read, they cannot learn.
That's why Senate Republicans have worked diligently alongside parents and educators to give students the tools they need to be able to read. Because of these efforts, IREAD scores have increased 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 exceeds pre-pandemic levels. This is also a 1.5% increase over last year's historically high scores.
This increase in reading proficiency can be traced back to legislation Senate Republicans passed to bring the Science of Reading curriculum into the classroom. Science of Reading instruction 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.
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 proves the program is working.
Senate Republicans maintained their commitment to improving literacy rates in 2024 by passing priority legislation to place further emphasis on Science of Reading, reading assessment, remediation and, as a last resort, retention, to ensure students have the time and support they need to be able to read proficiently.
On top of our state-recorded gains in reading proficiency, a recent report from researchers at Harvard and Stanford also rank Indiana sixth in the nation for reading improvement.
This record-setting increase in reading scores could not be achieved without the tireless work of students, educators and parents. They should be proud of this major accomplishment.
Senate Republicans will continue to make education a top priority during the 2027 legislative session.
