Louisiana’s youngest students are continuing to make significant progress in reading, according to new literacy screener results released by the Louisiana Department of Education.

State data from the 2025-2026 school year shows that 66.2 percent of students in kindergarten through third grade finished the year reading on or above grade level. That represents a 16.5 percentage-point increase from the beginning of the school year, when just under half of K-3 students were reading at grade level.

Kindergarten students posted the largest gains. At the start of the school year, 29.1 percent of kindergarten students were reading on or above grade level. By the end of the year, that number had climbed to 69 percent, an increase of nearly 40 percentage points.

Students in first, second and third grades also showed improvement. First grade students increased from 51.4 percent to 67.5 percent reading on grade level, while second grade students improved from 58 percent to 64.4 percent. Third grade students rose from 59 percent to 64 percent.

Students with disabilities also demonstrated growth during the school year, improving by more than 10 percentage points.

State education leaders credited the gains to Louisiana’s continued focus on early literacy instruction and the science of reading. Schools across the state have implemented literacy screeners, high-quality instructional materials, tutoring opportunities, coaching support and targeted intervention plans designed to help struggling readers receive assistance early.

The latest results continue a trend of improvement seen over the past several years. Louisiana has earned national recognition for its reading growth, including leading the nation in reading growth on multiple national assessments and ranking among the top states for early literacy policies.

Literacy screeners are administered to all Louisiana public school students in grades K-3 and are designed to help teachers identify reading strengths and areas where additional support may be needed. The assessments provide educators with information throughout the year so instruction can be tailored to meet students’ individual needs.

With two-thirds of Louisiana’s youngest students now reading on or above grade level, state leaders say the focus remains on building early literacy skills and helping even more students become successful readers in the years ahead.

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