MANSFIELD, LA — DeSoto Parish Schools are celebrating a strong start to the 2025–2026 school year, with notable gains in literacy proficiency across grades K–3 as measured by the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Beginning-of-Year (BOY) assessments.
District-wide, the percentage of students in grades K–3 scoring proficient in literacy rose from 56% in 2024–2025 to 65% in 2025–2026, marking a 9% increase overall.
“Literacy is the key to every other success a child will experience in school and in life,” said Superintendent Clay Corley. “We’re encouraged by this early progress, but we know it’s just the beginning. Our focus is on sustaining momentum through high-quality instruction, data-driven decision-making, and timely intervention. Every child deserves to read on grade level, and we won’t stop until that’s true for every student in DeSoto Parish.”
When examining grade-level performance, the data show consistent improvement across all grades:
Kindergarten: Increased from 47% to 48% proficient (+1%)
1st Grade: Increased from 70% to 72% proficient (+2%)
2nd Grade: Increased from 59% to 73% proficient (+14%)
3rd Grade: Increased from 49% to 69% proficient (+20%)
“Our beginning of year growth is a testament to the hard work by teachers, students, and parents for DeSoto Parish students to become on grade level readers and lifelong learners,” said Supervisor of Student Learning Willa Smith.
The district attributes this growth to ongoing professional development in literacy instruction, implementation of evidence-based reading strategies, and a district-wide emphasis on data-driven decision-making.
DeSoto Parish Schools will continue to monitor progress throughout the year with mid-year and end-of-year DIBELS assessments, ensuring each student receives the support needed to achieve grade-level reading proficiency.