FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – New data from the Indiana Department of Education shows over 87 percent of third graders in the state demonstrated proficient reading skills when tested in 2024-25. It is the highest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic. The improvement was also the largest year-to-year jump since the state started the IREAD testing in 2013, rising five percent.
All four local school districts in Allen County (SACS, NACS, EACS, and FWCS) saw improvements and were above the passing line. Fort Wayne Community Schools says it is proud of the results from the 2024-25 IREAD-3 assessment. The results showed the district achieving an 82.5% passing rate. FWCS says it marks the fifth consecutive year of growth and exceeds pre-pandemic performance levels.
FWCS released the following:
The 2024-25 results showcase remarkable progress, with 19 elementary schools posting significant gains. The district’s overall passing rate is an increase of 6.1 percentage points over 2023-24 and a more than 17 percentage point improvement since 2020-21. It also surpasses the pre-pandemic rate of 78.7% from 2018-19.
Several schools demonstrated exceptional improvement. Study Elementary led all schools with a 38 percentage point increase, jumping from 42.5% in 2023-24 to 80.4% in 2024-25. Levan Scott Academy achieved a 32.3 percentage point gain, rising from 58% to 90.3%. Indian Village Elementary saw a 23 percentage point increase, moving from 65.5% to 88.5%, while Fairfield Elementary increased by 22.5 percentage points. Brentwood Elementary increased from 80% to nearly 98% passing, and Irwin Elementary and Croninger Elementary achieved perfect 100% passing rates.
“We are excited about this continued growth and the dedication our students, teachers, families and community partners have shown,” said Superintendent Dr. Mark Daniel. “These results demonstrate that our focused approach to literacy instruction is making a real difference in students’ lives.”
Dr. Daniel also credits FWCS’ success to targeted reading interventions led by teachers, combined with a heavy emphasis on tutoring support from both dedicated educators and community partners. Programs such as Study Connection have played a key role, providing focused, one-on-one assistance to students who need additional help, ensuring that every student has the resources and encouragement to succeed.
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