REP. VANNATTER PRAISES IREAD SCORES INCREASING FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Aug. 21 -- The Indiana House of Representatives' Republican Caucus issued the following news release:

STATEHOUSE (Aug. 21, 2026) - State Rep. Heath VanNatter (R-Kokomo) is celebrating Hoosier students' scores on the 2026 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination assessment rising for the fifth consecutive year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

VanNatter 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. Literacy rates for every student population are also now higher than before the pandemic.

"Strong literacy outcomes don't happen overnight," VanNatter said. "They come from consis...