Mike Wolanin | The Republic A school bus departs L. Frances Smith Elementary School on the first day of school in Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. students are showing progress on the state’s standardized reading test, with all but two of the corporation’s elementary schools seeing an increase in their passing rate this year.
The Indiana Department of Education reported Wednesday that 85% of BCSC third graders passed the IREAD-3 exam this year during the spring and summer, up from 80.1% in 2023. Overall, 50 more BCSC students passed the exam this year compared to last year.
By comparison, the statewide passing rate was 82.5% this year, up from 81.9% last year.
Every BCSC elementary school saw an increase in its passing rates this year except for Taylorsville Elementary School, which saw its passing rate drop 2.3 percentage points, and Parkside Elementary School, where the pass rate ticked down 0.5 percentage points, according to state records.
On the other end of the spectrum, Mount Health Elementary School saw a 15.3 percentage point increase in its passing rate this year, while CSA Fodrea saw a 11.2 percentage point increase and Clifty Creek Elementary School saw a 10.3 percentage point increase.
The passing rates at BCSC schools this year ranged from 100% at CSA Lincoln Campus to 73% at Taylorsville Elementary School, the records show.
While the BCSC showed an overall improvement in scores, 128 BCSC third graders still are falling behind when it comes to reading ability.
Most nearby school corporations also saw higher passing rates this year. A total of 91.1% of third graders at Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp., passed the exam, up from 88.9% in 2023. Jennings County School Corp. had an 84.4% passing rate this year, up from 77.7% last year.
However, just over half of students at Seymour Community Schools, or 56.3%, passed the exam this year, down from 61.8% in 2023.
The Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination exam, or IREAD, is an online, untimed, multiple-choice reading assessment developed in accordance with state legislation, according to the Indiana Department of Education. The exam is designed to measure foundational reading skills based on Indiana Academic Standards through grade three.
While IREAD is required for all third graders, all second-grade students will participate in the spring administration of the exam starting in the 2024-2025 school year.
“Ensuring Hoosier students are able to read is key to not only the future of Indiana, but to the individual success of every child,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a statement. “The historic literacy investments we have made over the past several years are beginning to show return on investment, which is a testament to the hard work of teachers, families and students in every corner of our state. Let’s keep this positive momentum going.”
