SANDPOINT — The Idaho Department of Education released the results for the revamped fall 2025 Idaho Reading Indicator test last Friday.

The statewide test is taken twice a year by students from kindergarten through third grade and is meant to measure early literacy skills. The Idaho Department of Education switched test providers from Istation to Amira Learning, which brought with it a new, more detailed test. 

“The new assessment sets a higher standard, and early results – especially in kindergarten – reflect that increased rigor,” Idaho Governor Brad Little said. “This valuable new information helps us better understand how our youngest learners are progressing." 

The new test no longer contained multiple choice answers. Instead, students were tasked with responding in ways that were more constructive and applied, IDE officials said. As a result, the number of students able to read at state level statewide dropped by 2.4% from a year ago.  

Locally, the Lake Pend Oreille School District continued to outpace the state average, which was 57% of students at grade level, with 62% of students reading at a grade level. It represents a slight increase from last fall’s results, where 61.1% of students tested at grade level. 

West Bonner County School District’s scores fell by 1% from a year ago, with 50% of students tested reading at a grade level. The district’s kindergarten students were the only group to score higher than the state average, with 47% being able to read at a grade level. 

“This new assessment gives us a clearer picture of how Idaho students are performing, what they need from us, and how we can better prepare them for success in reading and writing,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield said. “I’m grateful to our educators for embracing this change and for putting new tools like expanded phonics instruction and literacy coaching into practice.”