Indiana’s 2025 ILEARN Scores Are Out

maskobus July 16, 2025 8:03 pm . 5 min read

Indiana’s ILEARN Results: Math Shows Gains, ELA Needs Focus

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) recently released the results of the 2025 Indiana Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) testing, providing a snapshot of student proficiency across the state. The data, presented during a State Board of Education meeting, reveals a mixed bag of progress, with math scores showing encouraging growth while English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency indicates a need for renewed focus.

Overall Proficiency Rates

The 2025 ILEARN results indicate that 40.6% of Indiana students in grades three through eight are meeting or exceeding proficiency standards in ELA. In mathematics, the picture is slightly brighter, with approximately 42% of students demonstrating proficiency.

Year-Over-Year Changes

Comparing the 2024 and 2025 ILEARN results, a slight dip of 0.4% was observed in ELA proficiency among students in grades three through eight. However, math proficiency saw a positive shift, increasing by 1.2 percentage points during the same period.

Math Proficiency: A Closer Look at Gains Since 2021

Since Indiana established its ILEARN baseline in 2021, the IDOE has tracked notable improvements in math proficiency across various grade levels. Here’s a breakdown of the percentage point increase in math proficiency since 2021:

Third Grade: 2.8% increase
Fourth Grade: 5.5% increase
Fifth Grade: 2.9% increase
Sixth Grade: 6.7% increase
Seventh Grade: 5.4% increase
Eighth Grade: 6.7% increase

ELA Proficiency: Areas of Concern

While math scores demonstrate positive trends, the ELA results present a more nuanced picture. While some grade levels have shown marginal improvement since 2021, others have experienced a decline in proficiency.

Third Grade: 1.6% increase since 2021
Fourth Grade: 1.8% increase since 2021
Fifth Grade: 1.3% increase since 2021
Sixth Grade: 0.6% increase since 2021
Seventh Grade: 3.2% decrease since 2021
Eighth Grade: 1.2% decrease since 2021

2021 ILEARN Baseline Data

To provide context for the recent results, here’s a look at the ELA and math proficiency standards established during the 2021 ILEARN baseline:

ELA Proficiency (2021 Baseline):

Third Grade: 38.7%
Fourth Grade: 39.6%
Fifth Grade: 39.5%
Sixth Grade: 39.9%
Seventh Grade: 41.1%
Eighth Grade: 43.9%

Math Proficiency (2021 Baseline):

Third Grade: 48.7%
Fourth Grade: 43.7%
Fifth Grade: 38.6%
Sixth Grade: 33%
Seventh Grade: 30.5%
Eighth Grade: 27.8%

Year-Over-Year Data (2024-2025)

The IDOE also released year-over-year data, highlighting the changes in ELA and math proficiency between 2024 and 2025:

Math:

Third Grade: 52.4% (2024) to 51.5% (2025)
Fourth Grade: 48% (2024) to 49.2% (2025)
Fifth Grade: 40.8% (2024) to 41.5% (2025)
Sixth Grade: 38.1% (2024) to 39.7% (2025)
Seventh Grade: 33.9% (2024) to 35.9% (2025)
Eighth Grade: 31.4% (2024) to 34.5% (2025)

ELA:

Third Grade: 38.6% (2024) to 40.3% (2025)
Fourth Grade: 41.8% (2024) to 41.4% (2025)
Fifth Grade: 40.3% (2024) to 40.8% (2025)
Sixth Grade: 41.1% (2024) to 40.5% (2025)
Seventh Grade: 41.8% (2024) to 37.9% (2025)
Eighth Grade: 42.6% (2024) to 42.% (2025)

Progress Among Specific Student Groups

The IDOE emphasized the significant strides made by Black students in both math and ELA since 2021. Since the baseline was established, there have been consistent year-over-year increases in proficiency for this student group. In 2021, 11.6% of Black students were proficient in math, compared to 19% in 2025. ELA proficiency among Black students has also risen, from 17.5% in 2021 to 21.8% in 2025.

Special education students have also demonstrated improvement in their ELA and math proficiency since 2021. Four years ago, 13% of special education students were proficient in ELA, and 14% were proficient in math. The 2025 ILEARN results show that 17.3% of special education students are now proficient in math, and 15% are proficient in ELA.

Students receiving free or reduced-cost lunches have also shown gains in both subjects. ELA proficiency for this group has increased from 25.9% in 2021 to 28% in 2025. Math proficiency has seen a more substantial increase, rising from 22% in 2021 to 28.6% in 2025.

Official Statements and Future Directions

Indiana Governor Mike Braun stressed the importance of early literacy and numeracy skills, stating, “The literacy and numeracy skills developed in early grades are essential as students begin to explore career options, engage in hands-on learning, and ultimately, make decisions about their next steps after graduation. 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.”

Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner highlighted the need to support middle school students in ELA, stating, “While we are positively moving and improving in math, there is an urgent need to support middle school students in English/language arts. It is essential that our schools and parents/families continue to work together and stay laser-focused on increasing student learning and success.”

Redesigned ILEARN and Checkpoints

Approximately 1,350 schools participated in a redesigned version of the ILEARN this year. Since January 2022, the IDOE has been working to revamp the assessment to provide more actionable data throughout the year for students, parents, and teachers.

The new ILEARN features three checkpoints that students complete throughout the school year, followed by a shorter summative assessment at the end of the year. These checkpoints are designed to provide real-time student data to better support learning, rather than waiting until the end of the year for results. According to the IDOE, the checkpoints are not punitive but are intended to guide student learning. Students who do not demonstrate mastery of a particular subject during a checkpoint test will receive additional instruction and then be retested. All schools will participate in the new version of the ILEARN during the 2025-26 school year.

SAT Data

The IDOE also released data related to the administration of the SAT in Indiana. In 2025, 54.5% of Indiana students demonstrated college readiness in evidence-based reading and writing, while 25.5% demonstrated college readiness in mathematics. The data indicates that 53% of Indiana students were below the SAT’s college-ready benchmark in mathematics, and 36% were below the benchmark in evidence-based reading and writing. Approximately 9.2% and 21.6% of Indiana students fell into the SAT’s “approaching college-ready” benchmark in evidence-based reading and writing and math, respectively.