Six Lake County and five Porter County school districts topped the state’s ILEARN combined math and English/language arts 31.2% pass rate in results announced Wednesday.
Schools administered the Indiana Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) in the spring, and statewide scores showed improvement in math, while English/language arts remained flat, officials said.
“While we continue to see students growing in math proficiency, this year’s results remind us all of the need to continue our focus in both early and adolescent literacy,” said Gov. Mike Braun in a state release from the Department of Education.
Statewide, 40.6% of Indiana’s students are at or above proficiency standards in ELA, and 42.1% of students are at or above proficiency standards in math.
It’s up 0.1 and 5.2 percentage points, respectively, since 2021, ILEARN’s baseline year with lowered scores blamed on the disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2021, math pass rates have increased for all student populations.
Still battling an achievement gap, Wednesday’s report showed Black students had year-over-year increases in both ELA and math (0.9 and 2 percentage points, respectively) and had the highest percentage point increase of all students in ELA.
Also, Black and Hispanic students had the highest year-over-year percentage point increases of all students in math (2 percentage points).
Indiana students will take a redesigned ILEARN exam next year spaced over different periods in the school year. It was piloted in more than 1,000 schools last year.
The redesigned exam will feature three “checkpoints” and a shortened summative assessment at the end of the school year.
Officials said the checkpoints will provide improved real-time student data to better support learning throughout the year, rather than waiting until the end of the year for results.
“While we are positively moving and improving in math, there is an urgent need to support middle school students in English/language arts,” said Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.
Locally, students in the Duneland School Corp. in Chesterton fared the best with a combined pass rate of 53.6%, more than 20 points above the state pass rate.
“Our students, teachers and families continue to work together in the spirit of student achievement,” said Superintendent Chip Pettit.
“I’m excited to see their hard work paying off. We’re also equally proud of the growth students are showing on a year-to-year basis.”
Students in the School Town of Munster were close behind with a 53.3% pass rate.
Nine Lake County districts improved their combined scores from last year, while three Porter County districts improved scores.
Porter-based Discovery Charter School’s 36.6% pass rate was the lone charter to eclipse the state pass rate.
Four of the 10 local charters posted improved scores over last year.
The private Diocese of Gary, with 20 schools, bested the state pass rate with a 40% mark.
The state also released the 2025 SAT results, which represent the required high school assessment for federal accountability. Students take the SAT in 11th grade.
The state passing score is the same as the national pass rate, per state law.
Students who did meet the evidence-based reading and writing portion of the SAT improved 2.7% with 54.5% meeting the cut score of 480.
In math, just 25.4% met the national cut score of 530.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
School district scores
ILEARN results for Grades 3-8*
English/math pass 2023-24 2024-25
Indiana
30.8% 31.2%
Lake County
Hanover Central 39% 40.5%
River Forest Community 11.4% 9.7%
Merrillville Community 18.2% 19.6%
Lake Central 39.8% 41.8%
Tri-Creek 42.1% 39.8%
Lake Ridge New Tech 4.2% 4.9%
Crown Point Community 41.1% 46.8%
School City of East Chicago
6.7% 7.7%
Lake Station Community 9.5% 8.4%
Gary Community 3% 3.5%
Griffith Public Schools 24.9% 24%
School City of Hammond 7.7% 7.5%
School Town of Highland 33.6% 33.9%
School City of Hobart 30.1% 29.8%
School Town of Munster 55.9% 53.3%
School City of Whiting 23.3% 24.4%
Porter County
MSD Boone Township 36.1% 30.5%
Duneland School Corp. 54.5% 53.6%
East Porter County 39.9% 39.6%
Porter Township 36% 39.8%
Union Township 55.2% 51.9%
Portage Township 20.4% 21.6%
Valparaiso Community 51.3% 52.7%
Charter schools
Charter School of the Dunes
2.9% 4.8%
Thea Bowman 6.9% 5.7%
Gary Lighthouse 5.9% 6%
21st Century 9.2% 10.8%
East Chicago Urban 19.2% 19%
Aspire
16.2% 15.5%
HAST
13.8% 15.6%
Discovery Charter 37.1% 36.6%
Steel City 6.7% 4.5%
HIAT (Higher Institute) 15.8% 4.4%
Private
Diocese of Gary 38.2% 40%
*Indiana Department of Education
