Math & reading standards and testing in Indiana
Updated June 2026
Indiana was the first state to repeal Common Core and adopt its own Indiana Academic Standards. Students in grades 3-8 take ILEARN each spring; the assessment was recently redesigned and is now fully implemented statewide.
Does Indiana hold kids back in 3rd grade for reading?
Yes. As of 2025, Indiana strictly enforces retention for 3rd graders who do not pass the IREAD-3 reading test and do not qualify for a good-cause exemption.
Standards
Indiana Academic Standards
Indiana sets its own grade-level expectations rather than using Common Core, though the core math and reading skills are similar grade to grade.
The key test
The Indiana state test
ILEARN covers both math and reading in grades 3-8.
Reading the results
IREAD-3 in spring (with a fall retake); ILEARN in spring.
IREAD-3: Pass or Did Not Pass. ILEARN: Below, Approaching, At, Above Proficiency.
For 3rd grade, on grade level means Pass on IREAD-3; failing without an exemption now means repeating 3rd grade.
What's distinctive about Indiana
Indiana uses a separate stand-alone reading test (IREAD-3) as the gate, distinct from ILEARN, and began strict enforcement in 2025.
Practice the skills, by grade
Whatever Indiana calls its test, the underlying math and reading skills are grade-level. Practice them directly:
Practice the skills behind the test
Indiana writes its own standards. What a third grader has to do does not change: multiply, find the main idea, read a paragraph and say what it meant. KangarooKiddo drills those skills in daily sessions of a handful of questions that end on their own. You see where your kid actually stands, they earn rewards you set up and approve.
Source: Indiana Department of Education. Verified for the 2025-26 school year; policies can change, so confirm with your school.