IREAD

What is IREAD?

The ability to read by the end of third grade is critical for a child’s future learning, as strong reading skills support learning in every subject area.

To ensure that students are on track for reading at the level expected by the end of third grade, Indiana requires students to participate in IREAD, the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination assessment, beginning in the spring of second grade. IREAD is aligned to Indiana Academic Standards, primarily in third grade, along with foundational skills introduced in earlier grades. It assesses students’ ability to read words accurately and understand what is read.

Under state law (HEA 1367 and SEA 1), students must pass IREAD by the end of third grade in order to be promoted to fourth grade. A passing score is not required for promotion at the end of any grade other than third grade.

What kinds of questions are on IREAD?

The test consists entirely of multiple-choice questions. Students are required to select the correct answer from a list of provided options. There are no questions that require written or verbal responses.

Is IREAD timed?

No, IREAD is untimed, allowing students to progress through each segment at their own pace.

What skills are tested on IREAD?

IREAD-3 consists of three sections that take about 90 minutes in total and are spread over 2-3 days. The skills assessed include:

• Foundations and Vocabulary (Word Recognition, Fluency, and Vocabulary Development): Questions may include identifying beginning, middle, and ending sounds, identifying synonyms, antonyms, homographs, suffixes, and using context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words in a text.

• Nonfiction (Comprehension and Analysis of Nonfiction and Informational Text): Questions may include comparing and responding to grade-level informational text by making connections and/or predictions while reading, and identifying important information within text (e.g., problem and solution, cause and effect, main idea).

• Literature (Comprehension and Analysis of Literary Text): Questions may include comparing and responding to grade-level literary text by recalling and/or describing story elements (e.g., plot, character traits and development, problem and solution), and identifying the theme and narrator of different literary genres.

How does the adaptive format of IREAD-3 work?

IREAD is a computer-adaptive test, meaning it adjusts based on how the student answers each question. This helps provide a more precise estimate of the student’s current reading skills. After testing, families receive a report detailing performance within each category (Foundations and Vocabulary, Nonfiction, and Literature), including a proficiency cut score indicating whether the student is performing above, at/near, or below the expected level.

What is the passing score for IREAD?

A score of 446 or above is considered passing for all students. Students who earn a passing score at any point between grades 2 and 6 will no longer need to participate in IREAD.

Third Grade and Above: A score below 446 is considered “Did Not Pass.”

Second Grade (Spring): Since students are not expected to master all reading skills assessed by IREAD until the end of third grade, a score below 446 results in an “On Track” or “At Risk” proficiency level rather than a “Did Not Pass” for second grade students.

Second Grade (Retest Opportunity): On the second-grade retest, results are reported only as “Pass” or “Did Not Pass” because the same third grade passing score is used. Many students who are progressing appropriately for second grade may still receive a “Did Not Pass” result since they have not yet reached the third-grade benchmark.

What are the expectations of IREAD-3 in second grade?

All second grade students participate in IREAD in the spring, regardless of special education status or English language proficiency, in accordance with state law. The test given in second grade is the same test administered to third graders, and many of the skills measured on IREAD are intended to be mastered by the end of third grade.

While some second graders may already demonstrate these skills, it is not expected that all students will. In second grade, the focus remains on developing strong, grade-level reading skills and continuing to build toward third-grade expectations.

If a student passes IREAD in second grade, they will no longer participate in the assessment in the future and have already met the end of third grade reading requirement for promotion to fourth grade.

A passing score in second grade is not required for promotion to third grade, and students who do not earn a passing score by the end of second grade will have another opportunity to take IREAD in the spring of their third grade year.

What happens if my second grader doesn’t pass IREAD?

Second grade students can be promoted to third grade without passing IREAD. Students who do not receive a passing score will receive one of the following indicators:

On Track (Spring only) - Students scoring “On Track” in the spring are currently meeting second-grade reading expectations, are predicted to pass IREAD by the end of third grade, and will have an additional opportunity to retest prior to third grade.

At Risk (Spring only) - Students scoring “At Risk” in the spring are not currently meeting foundational reading expectations and need additional support to be prepared for third grade. These students will receive targeted reading support, will be encouraged to attend summer programming opportunities, and will retest prior to third grade.

Students who score On Track or At Risk will have another opportunity to take IREAD either in May (if not attending summer programming) or at the end of summer programming in June.

Did Not Pass - On the second grade retest, results are reported only as “Pass” or “Did Not Pass.” Because the same third-grade passing score is used, many students who are progressing appropriately may still receive a “Did Not Pass” result. This does not automatically indicate a concern. Schools use multiple measures to monitor reading progress, and if additional support is needed, families will be contacted to partner on next steps.

There are no Good Cause Exemptions (GCE) granted to second grade students.

What are the expectations of IREAD in third grade?

All third-grade students are required to take IREAD unless they have already earned a passing score. This requirement applies to all students, regardless of special education status or English language proficiency, in accordance with state law.

Under state law, students must pass IREAD by the end of third grade, including summer retest opportunities, to be promoted to fourth grade unless they qualify for an exemption. Students who earned a passing score in second grade have already met this requirement, will not participate in IREAD in third grade, and will be promoted to fourth grade at the end of their third grade year.

What if my third grader doesn’t pass IREAD in the spring?

Students who do not pass the spring administration will receive additional reading support and will have two additional opportunities to earn a passing score:

Retest 1 Opportunity (May) - Students who have not earned a passing score, will participate in test administration at the end of the school year in May as a part of the regular school day.

Retest 2 Opportunity (June) - Students who have not earned a passing score at the end of the regular school year and are attending Summer Programming, will participate in test administration during the final week of the Summer Program in June.

What if my student doesn’t pass the IREAD summer retest?

Third grade students must pass IREAD by the end of third grade (including summer retest opportunities) to be promoted to fourth grade unless they qualify for an exemption, as required by state law. If a student doesn’t pass the summer retest and...:

Qualifies for one of the exemptions below, they will be promoted to fourth grade but must continue retesting until they pass or complete sixth grade.

Does not qualify for an exemption, they will repeat third grade in order to continue strengthening their reading skills and will retake IREAD until they pass. Even if a student does not pass IREAD after repeating third grade, they will still move on to fourth grade. However, they will continue retaking IREAD each year until they either pass or finish sixth grade.

What exemptions are available for students to be promoted to fourth grade?

If one of these “Good Cause Exemption” situations applies to your student, they are legally allowed to move on to fourth grade, even if they do not pass IREAD.

• The student has an intellectual disability or the student's Individualized Education Program specifies that retention is not appropriate, as determined by the case conference committee

• The student is identified as a Multilingual/English Learner and has received services for fewer than two years, with the ILP committee determining that promotion is appropriate.

• The student passes the ILEARN Math assessment

• The student has been retained twice in Kindergarten through 2nd grade and has received intensive intervention for at least two years.

• The student has already been retained once in third grade.

If you receive communication notifying you that your child will not be promoted to the fourth grade and believe your child qualifies for one of the exemptions listed above, you may request and submit a Retention Appeal Request Form from your principal.

Are students required to retest even if they are promoted to fourth grade?

Yes, students are required to participate in both the Spring and Summer IREAD retests until they pass or complete 6th grade to ensure students master foundational reading skills, starting with the 2024-2025 third grade cohort. Even if a student qualifies for a Good Cause Exemption and is promoted to fourth grade, they must continue to retest until they pass or complete sixth grade.

What are the expectations of IREAD in fourth through sixth grade?

Expectations for IREAD in grades 4–6 vary because the state has updated policies over time. As a result, participation may look slightly different depending on the student’s grade level.

It is important to note that retention based on IREAD results only applies in third grade. A passing IREAD score is not required for promotion in grades 4 through 6.

Grade 4 - Fourth grade students are the first cohort under the current state policy. Students who have not yet earned a passing IREAD score must continue participating in IREAD. This includes:

• Students who were promoted to fourth grade through a Good Cause Exemption
• Students who are new to Indiana schools and have not previously participated in IREAD

Students will participate in the spring test administration in March. If they do not receive a passing score, they will retest in May during the regular school day.

Grade 5 - Fifth grade students are under the previous state policy. Students who received a Good Cause Exemption in third grade are not required to continue retesting. The Indiana Department of Education now requires that students newly enrolled in Indiana schools who have not previously participated in IREAD must take the assessment.

Students who have not yet earned a passing score will participate in the spring test administration in March and may retest in May, if needed. Students who do not earn a passing score by the end of fifth grade will not participate in IREAD again in sixth grade.

Grade 6 - Sixth grade students are not subject to the previous retesting policies. However, the Indiana Department of Education requires that students newly enrolled in Indiana schools who have not previously participated in IREAD must participate in the assessment.

These students will participate in the spring test administration in March, with a May retest opportunity, if needed.

How can I help my student prepare for IREAD?

• Read with your child daily; ask them questions about what they are reading.

• IREAD can contain longer reading passages; encourage your child to occasionally read for longer periods of time with books that aren’t too hard that it’s frustrating for them to read, but are at a level that they might need your support to read.

• IREAD-3 Released Items Repository (RIR) - This site provides previously released IREAD-3  items that you can view.

How do I access my child's results?

After testing is completed, schools will contact families of students who receive an “At Risk” result in the second-grade spring administration or a “Did Not Pass” result.

All families will receive a ParentSquare notification at the end of the state testing window with instructions on how to view their child’s results.

Where can I see a sample report?

For more information about the specific sections on the IREAD report, see the following Sample Reports:

• Grade Two (English | Spanish)

• Grade Three (English | Spanish)