District officials report rebound in early‑grade reading; Mishawaka outperformed state in third grade iRead

School district officials told the School City of Mishawaka board on Sept. 10 that early‑grade reading scores have rebounded since the COVID decline and that the district exceeded the state average on the third‑grade iRead last year.

Dr. Stockdale presented multi‑year iRead data, saying the state saw a 5 percentage‑point increase last year, and Mishawaka saw about a 10 percentage‑point increase, reaching roughly 88% of third graders passing iRead in 2024–25. "This has been a true collective effort of the students, teachers, principals, staff, and families," Dr. Stockdale said.

The presentation compared district trends to state data, showed kindergarten readiness measures and second‑grade iRead performance (new for the past two years). Dr. Stockdale said about 60% of second graders were proficient last year, exceeding the state second‑grade rate, and emphasized growth from kindergarten through third grade.

The board and presenters highlighted school‑level recognition tied to that growth: Liberty Elementary received a State Board of Education shout‑out for growth among exceptional learners, and a Game Changer Award recognized Twin Branch third‑grade teacher Jen Waite for notable student growth.

Dr. Stockdale said the district will continue data‑driven reading plans for third graders and collaborate with families; he opened the floor for questions and received supportive remarks from board members.

No board action was taken; the presentation was informational.