Indiana Jumps to Sixth in the Nation in Reading

This is the highest Indiana has ever ranked in fourth grade reading.

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INDIANAPOLIS - In just two years, Indiana students have improved to sixth in the nation in reading according to results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) rankings. This is the highest Indiana has ever ranked in fourth grade reading and follows the state’s historic investments in a number of comprehensive, strategic solutions aimed at helping more students learn to read. 

“Over the past three years, Indiana has taken an all-hands-on-deck approach to solving our literacy crisis, and today we see that without a doubt, this work is making a difference,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “This new data is just one more piece of evidence that the time and resources invested in this effort are paying off for students. This should provide continued motivation for everyone to keep our foot on the gas pedal, whether that’s classroom teachers or parents reading to their child at home. This data also elevates the opportunity ahead to learn from the successful strategies we have deployed in reading to help more students in math.”

NAEP – also known as the Nation’s Report Card – provides a snapshot of how Indiana’s students are performing compared to other students across the nation; it is the only assessment which can be compared state to state. The most recent assessment, administered in 2024, shows that fourth and eighth grade students are outperforming their peers nationwide in reading and earned similar scores as their peers nationwide in math. Across the nation, average scale scores in reading and math still have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.  

Below is an overview of Indiana’s latest rankings in reading and math:

• Fourth Grade Reading - 6th in the nation (previously 19th)
• Eighth Grade Reading - 6th in the nation (previously 17th)
• Fourth Grade Math - 9th in the nation (previously 11th)
• Eighth Grade Math - 13th in the nation (previously 11th)

Other key takeaways from the data include:

• Reading
  • While nationwide the average scale score decreased two points, fourth grade Indiana students demonstrated a three point average scale score increase.
  • While nationwide the average scale score decreased two points, eighth grade Indiana students demonstrated a one point average scale score increase.
  • In Indiana, the percentage of students who scored at the advanced level in reading increased in both fourth and eighth grade. 
  • Fourth grade students who have historically struggled the most with reading saw the greatest growth.
• Math 
  • Fourth grade Indiana students demonstrated a one point average scale score increase in math compared to a two point average scale score increase nationwide.
  • Eighth grade Indiana students and students nationwide demonstrated a one point average scale score decrease in math.
  • In Indiana, the percentage of students who scored at the proficient level in math increased in both fourth and eighth grade. The percentage of students who scored at the advanced level also increased in fourth grade. 
  • Fourth and eighth grade students who have historically struggled the most with math saw the most significant drops. 

NAEP reading and math tests historically have been administered every two years, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two administrations occurred in 2019 and 2022. The tests measure reading comprehension, math knowledge and students’ ability to apply their knowledge in problem solving. NAEP randomly samples and selects students from each state to participate in the assessment. In 2024, nearly 7,000 Indiana public and charter school students participated in NAEP testing, which serves as a representative sample of all students statewide.

Results for Indiana can be found here, with additional information on NAEP available here.