The 2026 IREAD-3 results are in and Whitley County Consolidated Schools (WCCS) students reached 93.8% proficiency, the highest district performance in the past six years. This result continues a strong upward trend for our students and places WCCS 5.9 percentage points above the 2026 Indiana state average of 87.9%.
WCCS has shown steady progress over recent years. In 2021 the district recorded 87.2% proficient, in 2022 83.2%, in 2023 86.0%, in 2024 87.9%, and in 2025 92.4%. Over the past five years, WCCS has grown 6.6 percentage points in IREAD-3 proficiency, reflecting sustained gains in early literacy instruction and student achievement.
There is also plenty to celebrate across our elementary schools. Little Turtle Elementary grew by 8 percentage points, reaching 93.4% proficiency. Two schools met and exceeded the state’s 95% benchmark: Mary Raber Elementary reached 97.3%, and Northern Heights Elementary reached 97.5%. These school-level successes underscore districtwide progress and the impact of targeted literacy instruction, collaborative teaching practices, family support and student persistence.
These results represent years of intentional literacy instruction, hard work from our teachers and staff, support from families, and, most importantly, the effort of our students. Reaching 93.8% proficiency is our highest performance yet, and it shows that our work to support early readers is helping. The district will use these results to celebrate successes, identify areas for continued focus, and refine instructional strategies to ensure every student is reading on grade level by the end of third grade.
Media Contact
Dr. Trent Lehman, Superintendent
Seth Slater, Assistant Superintendent
260.244.5771, WCCS Central Office