REP. BAIRD PRAISES IREAD SCORES INCREASING FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Aug. 19 -- The Indiana House of Representatives' Republican Caucus issued the following news release:

STATEHOUSE (Aug. 19, 2026)- State Rep. Beau Baird (R-Greencastle) is celebrating Hoosier students' scores on the 2026 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination assessment rising for the fifth consecutive year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

Baird said more than 88% of Hoosier third graders passed IREAD, a nearly 1.5 percentage point increase from last year. It's the second-largest single-year increase since the test was implemented.

"This is the kind of progress that every Hoosier can be proud of," Baird said. "Our students have overcome significant obstacles to achieve these scores, and they show how much can be ...