Thousands of Indianapolis students fail new reading exam - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Thousands of Marion County third graders may be repeating the third grade after failing Indiana's new high stakes reading exam. Schools that worked all year improving students' reading skills are working even harder now to get them ready for a second chance.

Some Indianapolis third graders are in reading classes as long as two and a half hours a day. Big groups, small groups and individual attention are all aimed at helping them pass Indiana's new IREAD exam. Those who don't are likely to repeat the third grade.

Asked if she is serious about holding students back, Marjorie Lindeman, the principal of IPS 114 replied, "Absolutely. It's the law."

Records obtained by Eyewitness News show one in four Marion County third graders - nearly 2,500 children - failed the mandatory exam. They get a second chance this summer.

Educators at Eastridge Elementary in Warren Township are confident most of their 26 failing students will pass.

"We had students miss by one point. We had some who missed by seven points. We had some very close students," said Principal Robin LeClaire.

At IPS 114, teachers say students who worked hard and took the exam seriously did fine the first time.

"Kids who did not pass this test were pretty much 'nah.' They weren't very worried. That could be part of the problem," said teacher Stephanie Ruddy.

The majority of the county's failing third graders have much bigger problems to overcome. For example, IPS students speak more than 40 different languages. Nearly half of the third graders who failed the reading exam are either learning to speak English or are enrolled in special education programs.

Those special needs students may apply for waivers and receive promotions. Those decisions won't be made until after the next IREAD test results are in.

Students retake the exam in June. Statewide results of the first exam will be released mid-May.

See results for all 11 Marion  County school districts.