Indiana’s third-grade literacy rate made its largest single-year leap since the IREAD assessment began in 2013, climbing nearly five percentage points to 87.3 percent proficiency. The gain marks the fourth consecutive year of improvement and a return to pre-pandemic reading levels.
A key contributor to this progress is the Indiana Literacy Cadre, a partnership between the State of Indiana, Marian University’s Klipsch Educators College and the Center for Vibrant Schools, and the University of Indianapolis’s Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL). Through the Cadre, early elementary teachers receive embedded instructional coaching grounded in the science of reading, which emphasizes phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Schools participating in the Cadre saw a seven-percentage point increase in IREAD proficiency, nearly double the growth of schools not in the program. And here’s a striking difference in those test scores. While statewide scores jumped 4.8% over last year, and non-Literacy Cadre schools improved by 3.6%, Marian-affiliated schools' proficiency scores were up 9.9%, or double the state average. Nowhere is this commitment more visible than in Evansville-Vanderburgh Schools, where the results are nothing short of remarkable. Dexter Elementary posted a 24-point proficiency gain. Fairlawn Elementary surged by 36.5 points. Glenwood Leadership Academy grew an extraordinary 44 points. These schools, which have embraced Marian’s science-of reading–aligned methods through the Indiana Literacy Cadre
“The work happening within the Center for Vibrant Schools, the Klipsch Educators College, and Marian University is setting students and educators up for success every day,” said Lee Ann Kwaitkowski, Dean and Vice President of Marian University’s Klipsch Educators College. “We are meeting educators where they are today, and we’re also preparing future educators to hit the ground running when they enter the classroom. The data is clear and is being seen within our partner schools across the state.”
The Cadre is one of several strategies supported by Indiana’s historic $170 million investment in early literacy, funded in partnership with Lilly Endowment Inc. This initiative includes teacher training, universal K–2 literacy screeners, high-quality curriculum guidance, and free or low-cost tutoring opportunities.
“Every day, our team is walking side-by-side with instructional coaches, teachers, and school administrators to ensure high-quality, evidence-based practices are being used in classrooms,” said Melissa Abernathy, Executive Director of the Literacy Institute at The Center for Vibrant Schools at Marian University. “We are so encouraged by the success we have already seen, and we will continue this work with schools.”
Marian University continues to collaborate with schools statewide to ensure more students master foundational reading skills, laying the groundwork for lifelong learning and achievement.”
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