Carmel Clay Schools is proud to announce another year of outstanding academic achievement on the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment. Demonstrating a steadfast commitment to foundational literacy, 95.5% of Carmel Clay Schools' 3rd-grade students passed the assessment, maintaining the district’s historically high performance.

Across Indiana, 88.7% of third graders achieved reading proficiency this year, an encouraging statewide gain of nearly 1.5 percentage points over the 2024–2025 school year. Carmel Clay Schools continues to significantly outperform state averages while maintaining high achievement across a large student body.

Excellence at Scale

Achieving top-tier literacy scores is notable for any district, but doing so at scale makes this accomplishment even more meaningful. Out of the 365 reporting school corporations in Indiana, the average district assesses 214 third-grade students. Carmel Clay Schools assessed 1,177 third graders, demonstrating that academic excellence is consistently delivered across our entire student population.

All third-grade students in Carmel Clay Schools participate in the assessment. Achieving a 95.5% pass rate with such a large student body highlights the strength of the district's instructional framework and the dedication of its elementary educators.

"Our reading performance reflects the daily commitment of our teachers and students," said Dr. Amy Dudley, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. "Our educators work to understand each student's unique strengths and needs, meeting them where they are and challenging them to grow. We are proud of these results, and we remain committed to helping every student continue to make progress."

Comprehensive Performance Data & Multi-Year Growth

Individual elementary schools posted standout results, alongside significant single-year and long-term gains across diverse student populations:

• Woodbrook Elementary: 97.8% proficient (up 6.1% from 91.7% in 2025)
• Mohawk Trails Elementary: 93.2% proficient (up 5.4% from 87.8% in 2025)
• West Clay Elementary: 100% proficient
• Multiracial Students: 100% proficient (up 6.7% from 93.3% in 2025)
• Black Students: 94.8% proficient (up 2.1% from 92.7% in 2025; up 21.6% since 2021)
• Hispanic Students: Up 19.5% since 2021
• Special Education: Up 25.1% since 2021
• Free/Reduced Qualified: Up 14.7% since 2021
• Multilingual Learners: Up 10.0% since 2021
• Districtwide: 95.5% proficient (up 5.4% since 2021)

Carmel Clay Schools remains focused on continuous instructional growth, ensuring early literacy programs equip students with the foundational skills necessary for lifelong learning. Through responsive teaching, strong curriculum alignment, and ongoing support, CCS continues to strive for academic success across all 11 elementary schools.