VIDALIA — Concordia Parish Schools were recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for having a reading program that makes a difference.

Noting the results of the Concordia Parish schools’ use of the Reading First program, the USDE recognized the school system as one of three districts in the state for No Child Left Behind Making a Difference in Louisiana.

“This is a biggie,” Superintendent Kerry Laster said.

Reading First is a federally funded program that gives teachers a lot of professional development, and students are given a chance to catch up if they lag behind, she said.

“This is not a quick fix,” Laster said. “It is a long-term systemic reform effort to improve reading skills for all students in our district.

The program was for first through third graders.

Vidalia Lower Elementary Principal Doris Polk said she has seen great improvements in reading at her school.

“Children at the kindergarten level are reading by December,” she said.

The greatest gains have been seen in the kindergarten and first grade levels, Laster said.

Reading First coordinator Linda Spinks said the second and third grades are a concern, but they are still ahead of state benchmarks for the program.

The program is an uninterrupted two-hour block of reading and reading skills, Polk said.

The first hour is strictly reading, and after that students break out into different learning centers, she said.

The different centers include hands-on learning and computer programs geared toward phonics work and reading comprehension.

Students are tested every three months to see where they stand and if they need intervention, Polk said.

Depending on how much a student needs to catch up, a classroom teacher or a reading specialist focuses on the student’s needs.

Reading First, implemented through the Louisiana Department of Education, was funded by a $3.2 million grant.

“When I came three years ago, I knew we needed to do something, and I needed someone who was willing to take a risk and write for this grant,” Laster said.

Cindy Smith, now principal at Ferriday Upper Elementary School, was the first coordinator for the project and helped write the grant, Laster said.

The first group of students who participated in the program will be in the fourth grade this year, and Laster said she hopes the district will see a difference in LEAP test scores.

“We’re probably exceeding where the state says we need to be with Reading First,” she said.