INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb and Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner recognized educators from 283 schools where at least 95% of students demonstrated reading proficiency in 2024 at a ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse recently.
Three county elementary schools were part of a statewide recognition ceremony after the three schools earned 95% or above on their IREAD scores. New Palestine Elementary with a 97.90% passing rate, Eden Elementary School with a 97.80% passing rate and Fortville Elementary with a 95.10% were all honored.
New Palestine Elementary principal Kayleigh Fosnow said students, staff and the community have worked hard to make sure kids are prepared and learning. She credits their “SOARing to Excellence” model which they started during the 2021-22 school year for helping get the passing score so high.
“This commitment began with a new master schedule that included built-in reading and math interventions called SOAR time,” Fosnow said. “During SOAR time, students receive small-group instruction based on data on common assessments and progress monitoring. The new schedule allowed for all hands available to work with students on their individual reading needs. Teachers, principals, instructional assistants, a literacy specialist, a counselor and even the treasurer run a reading group during the day. New Palestine Elementary staff works hard to make sure every student is learning and having fun.”
Eden Elementary School principal Joe Bowman said he can only thank the staff and families for working together to empower their students to be readers.
“I am so proud of our staff who have really taken on the research behind teaching foundational reading skills to heart, and we are dedicated to it,” Bowman said. “We are all in this together, and we take advantage of every minute everyday enriching and intervening based on our data we have that shows us what students need.”
Bowman went on to say the school is part of a professional learning community that is constantly reflecting on practices and improving themselves every day to help improve the outcomes for students.
“We also focus on building quality relationships with students and families,” Bowman said. “We identify barriers and do everything we can to remove those barriers so our students can succeed. We truly are all about Learning for All and All for Learning. I am so proud of my students, staff, and families. Eden is such a great place to be.”
Fortville Elementary School Principal Vince Edwards said that any success they have had with IREAD-3 has been a team effort.
“First, our dedicated faculty provides strong core reading instruction in kindergarten through third grade,” Edwards said. “Additionally, our early and systematic intervention systems ensure that students receive the support they need as soon as challenges arise.”
Edwards also noted they have many incredibly supportive parents who value education and work closely with them, and they have hard-working students who put in the effort every day.
“It’s a collective commitment to learning, both students and adults with a focus on leveraging best practices related to the science of reading,” Edwards said.
During the state’s first literacy celebration last February, 241 school were recognized for reaching the statewide literacy goal, as demonstrated during the 2023 administration of the IREAD assessment. The recent celebration marked an increase of more than 40 additional schools that are now meeting this important goal.
“Our statewide goal of achieving 95% reading proficiency among Indiana students is ever closer because of the work these schools have done and continue to do every day,” said Gov. Holcomb. “Reading is foundational to all other educational and quality of life goals we set as a state, and I want to commend the educators at each of the schools honored today for their commitment to a brighter future for our students and the state of Indiana.”
State officials note, to support schools and educators, as well as parents and families in preparing students with foundational reading skills, Indiana continues to make historic investments in literacy, totaling over $170 million.
“When it comes to supporting every child to reach their full potential, one of the most important things we can do is teach them to read,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “The ability to read has an impact on students’ academic achievement, as well as their lifelong opportunities.”
