By State Sen. Daryl Schmitt (R-Jasper)
On Wednesday, April 8, I attended a ceremony that honored local schools' literacy achievements at the Statehouse.
The schools were recognized for attaining a 95% or higher pass rate on the 2025 IREAD assessment.
Local schools honored during the ceremony include East Crawford Elementary School, South Crawford Elementary School, Northeast Dubois Intermediate School, Ferdinand Elementary School, Ireland Elementary School, Owensville Community School, Haubstadt Community School, Fort Branch Community School, Perry Central Elementary School, Nancy Hanks Elementary School, Lincoln Trail Elementary School, Chrisney Elementary School, Luce Elementary School, Saint Michael School, Holy Trinity Catholic School, Holy Cross School, Saint James School, Saints Peter & Paul School, and St. Bernard Catholic School.
As Indiana’s Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner always says, our students first learn to read and then read to learn.
In recent years, the Indiana General Assembly has passed new laws aimed at improving student literacy and requiring schools to teach the Science of Reading curriculum.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Hoosier teachers, students and parents, we are already seeing improvement in literacy skills. In 2024, Indiana saw impressive improvement in reading scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress, with scores improving from 19th to 6th in the nation among fourth graders and 17th to 6th among eight graders.
Today's students are tomorrow's leaders, and I believe offering a great education ensures our state's future is bright. That's why, as your state senator, I will always work with educational leaders, parents and my colleagues to make sure Hoosier children have the tools they need for successful careers.
As always, constituents can reach out to me with any questions or concerns by email at s48@iga.in.gov or by phone at 1-800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Daryl Schmitt (R-Jasper) represents Senate District 48,
which includes Crawford, Dubois, Gibson, Perry, Pike and Spencer counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
