Make wishtv.com your home page

Tests show Indiana 3rd graders below normal reading levels

Third grade students practice grammar in their classroom on February 18, 2021 in Woodland, Washington. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — New standardized test results show reading levels of Indiana’s younger students have improved just slightly but still remain below results from before the pandemic.

Data released Wednesday from an Indiana Department of Education reading assessment given to third graders shows nearly one in five students “have not mastered foundational reading skills by the end of third grade.”

It’s another indication that students have not quite cleared the hurdles of coronavirus pandemic learning losses, as those across all grade levels struggle to succeed after navigating transitions to online learning and adapting to current teacher shortages.