Indiana
Literacy overhaul bill — with third grade retention requirement — heads to Indiana governor • Indiana Capital Chronicle
Indiana senators gave final approval Thursday for a literacy overhaul bill that will require reading-deficient third graders to be held back a year in school.
Senate Bill 1, which seeks to remedy Indiana’s literacy “crisis” by requiring schools to administer the statewide IREAD test in second grade — a year earlier than current requirements — and directing new, targeted support to at-risk students and those struggling to pass the exam.
But if, after three tries, a third grader can’t meet the IREAD standard, legislators want school districts to retain them.
That number could reach into the thousands according to recent data.
While much of the rest of the bill has received bipartisan support, the retention language has been passionately debated in both chambers.
Numerous teachers, parents and education experts argued there are various, negative long-term effects for students who are forced to retake third grade. But Republican lawmakers remained firm that Indiana does a disservice to kids who are promoted to the fourth grade without foundational reading skills.
The Senate voted 29-16 on Thursday in favor of the bill. Seven Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting the measure, in part over the House chamber’s deletion of dyslexia-specific supports for young learners.
Senate Bill 1 now heads to Gov. Eric Holcomb for his review and signature. The governor has not said where stands on the final version of the proposal but included third grade literacy — and mandatory retention — in his 2024 legislative agenda.
Bill author Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, and other Republicans have repeatedly said the proposal is not a “retention bill,” and holding Hoosier kids back in school should “be a last resort.” They maintain, too, that if literacy supports and remediation in Senate Bill 1 are properly implemented, no children will have to be retained.
Exceptions are carved out in Rogers’ bill for students who have been retained in third grade before, special-education students, certain English language learners, and students who pass the math portion of the statewide assessment and receive remedial reading instruction.
Schools will also be required to offer summer school to struggling readers starting this year, although the final version of the bill does not force students to attend.
Attempting to compromise on retention, critics called for that portion of the bill to be put on hold until the 2025-2026 academic year, when all Hoosier teachers are supposed to be trained up on science of reading instruction.
Republican lawmakers rejected the delay, however. Under the latest draft, the retention provision takes effect for the upcoming 2024-2025 school calendar.
Last year, 13,840 third-graders did not pass IREAD, according to test data. Of those students, 5,503 received an exemption and 8,337 did not. But about 95% of students without an exemption moved onto 4th grade and just 412 were retained.
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Indiana
Heavy rain soaks central Indiana, but drought relief uneven across the state
Central Indiana has seen a very wet start to March, with several rounds of rain and storms moving through the region over the past few days. In fact, the city of Indianapolis has already received more rain in the first four days of the month than it typically gets during the entire month of March.
So far this month, Indianapolis has recorded 3.90 inches of rainfall, which already exceeds the normal March monthly average of 3.79 inches. Much of that rain came during a widespread soaking on Tuesday, when a strong system pushed steady showers and thunderstorms across the state.
Some of the highest totals over the past three days have been recorded across central Indiana. Rain gauges show 5.86 inches in Marion County, 5.02 inches in Morgan County, 4.97 inches in Hancock County, 4.95 inches in Shelby County, 4.57 inches in Johnson County, and 4.26 inches in Hendricks County. These totals represent a significant amount of rainfall in a short period of time and have left many areas with saturated ground and standing water in low spots.
Despite the widespread rainfall, the impact on drought conditions has been somewhat uneven across the state. According to the latest drought monitor, the areas that received the heaviest rain over the past few days are largely the same areas that were already in relatively good shape in terms of moisture levels. Meanwhile, parts of northern Indiana that have been dealing with more persistent dryness have seen much lighter totals.
Cities such as Kokomo, Lafayette, and Muncie have generally picked up less rain compared to areas farther south. Forecast models suggest that pattern may continue over the next several days.
Additional rainfall is expected through Thursday, with another round possible around midday Saturday. Current projections show the best chance for another inch or more of rain focusing once again across the southern half of the state, while northern Indiana may see lower totals.
That means while the recent rain has certainly helped improve soil moisture in many areas, it may not fully address the lingering dryness farther north. For now, the pattern remains active, and Hoosiers should expect more wet weather before the system finally begins to move out later this weekend.
Indiana
Watch Indiana basketball’s Lamar Wilkerson give his mom a Cadillac
Indiana basketball sharpshooter Lamar Wilkerson is known for his generosity.
Upon joining the Hoosiers, he gave a tidy sum of his NIL earnings to his previous program, Sam Houston State.
“I was blessed to be able go from that, from not having a lot, to being here, having a lot more than I even knew what to do with,” Wilkerson said at the time. “I just thought, I can give them this.”
He upped the ante on IU’s Senior Night, giving his mother a Cadillac after the Hoosiers throttled Minnesota.
You could imagine her reaction.
Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.
Indiana
Indiana basketball vs. Minnesota score, updates tonight: Start time, where to watch
Indiana basketball coach Darian DeVries breaks down what went wrong in loss to MSU
Indiana basketball coach Darian DeVries shares his thoughts on his team’s struggles against MSU and his message to the locker room.
Indiana (17-12, 8-10 Big Ten) has no room for air as it hosts Minnesota (14-15, 7-11). The Hoosiers have lost four in a row, leaving them on the NCAA Tournament bubble, while the Golden Gophers have won three of their last four. Minnesota beat IU in a conference opener.
We will have score updates and highlights, so remember to refresh.
What time does Indiana basketball play Minnesota tonight, March 4? Start time for Minnesota basketball vs Indiana on Wednesday, March 4, 2026
- The Indiana-Minnesota game is at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
Where to watch Indiana vs. Minnesota tonight, March 4? What channel is the Minnesota-Indiana on college basketball game today?
Watch college basketball with a free Fubo trial
Indiana vs. Minnesota predictions tonight, March 4
- Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Indiana 75-69
- “Indiana is on the ropes. Minnesota has nothing to lose. Gophers already beat IU once this year. So picking Minnesota here is going to be trendy. Too trendy. The Ohio State game is tougher to forecast, but the Hoosiers win here.”
- Michael Niziolek, Herald-Times: Indiana 78-70
- “Can Minnesota spoil IU’s Senior Night? The Gophers upended Indiana in Darian DeVries’ Big Ten debut earlier this season and have been a tough out in conference play. They are just 7-11, but six of those losses are by single digits and two of those came in overtime. The Hoosiers need to do a better job of locking down the perimeter while getting a more balanced scoring effort. Indiana should be able to pull this one out and keep its NCAA Tournament chances alive for another night.”
Where to listen to Indiana vs. Minnesota tonight, March 4, 2026
How much are Indiana vs. Minnesota tickets tonight, March 4, 2026?
IU basketball tickets on StubHub
Basketball rankings college: Indiana vs. Minnesota
As of March 2
(all times ET; with date, day of week, location and opponent, time, TV)
- 0, Jasai Miles
- 1, Reed Bailey
- 2, Jason Drake
- 3, Lamar Wilkerson
- 4, Sam Alexis
- 5, Conor Enright
- 6, Tayton Conerway
- 7, Nick Dorn
- 10, Josh Harris
- 11, Trent Sisley
- 12, Tucker DeVries
- 13, Aleksa Ristic
- 15, Andrej Acimovic
Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.
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