The Indiana Department of Education on Tuesday released the results of a new reading test, known as IREAD-3, now required of third graders.

Statewide, 77,384 third graders took the reading test, with an overall 84 percent passing.

The results for the Duneland Schools, along with the Discovery Charter School in Porter, were better than the state average. The results are as follows:

Jackson: 97.1% passed (67 of 69 students tested).

Brummitt: 88.5% (46 of 52 tested).

Liberty Elementary: 89.9% (89 of 99 tested).

Bailly: 87.6% (92 of 105 tested).

Yost: 88% (73 of 83 tested).

Discovery: 93.5% (43 of 46 tested).

The corporation-wide results for schools in Porter County are as follows:

Duneland, 90%

Valparaiso: 94.2%

Portage, 86.3%

Union, 92.1%

Porter Township, 93.9%

East Porter County: 94.7%

Boone Township: 96.4%.

The new IREAD-3 test, given during March 19-21, was mandated by a state law that passed in 2010. The law requires schools to test students for their reading comprehension to ensure that students have a third-grade reading proficiency before they can advance to fourth grade.

Schools that do not have a 90 percent passing rate must develop specialty reading instruction plans. Students who did not pass the test will be given another chance to do so.

Posted 5/16/2012