DeSoto Parish ranks first in Louisiana, early literacy achievement

Superintendent Clay Corley said while the ranking is an accomplishment, the district's focus remains on student success rather than statewide recognition.

"I know rankings are nice and provide validation and perspective. And, if somebody is keeping score, we'd like to be number one. But honestly, that's not what drives us. Our goal is that every child in DeSoto Parish be a proficient reader. And we're at 80.4%, and I'm proud of that. But there's still so many kids that need us," Corley said.

Corley said he believes the real story is the growth happening student by student.

"A ranking really tells you where you finished. It doesn't tell you about the child who came in two years behind and made a year-and-a-half growth. Those kinds of stories matter to me more than the number," Corley said.

Building a culture that is honest about growth and honest about data also matters to Corley.

"We don't celebrate mediocre. No one does. We celebrate growth and we hold ourselves accountable to the number that matters most," he said.

Statewide, Louisiana students also posted gains in reading proficiency for the third straight year. But in DeSoto Parish, educators say the focus remains on making sure every child leaves elementary school with the reading skills needed for long-term success.

The reading assessment commonly called DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is helping accomplish that goal.

"But I don't want the tool to get all the credit. I mean, a screener's only as powerful as what you do with the data. And what I believe makes us different is that our teachers and coaches and leaders actually use it," Corley said.

School leaders say the combination of using assessment data and focusing on student growth has helped drive literacy gains across the district.