Louisiana's educational outlook took on a brighter hue last week, when findings of a new study showed the state's students performing well in the federal Reading First program.

Let's brag just a bit. The study actually shows Louisiana is outperforming the Reading First schools in the rest of the nation, signaling students are making headway in meeting the challenges that promise greater success in the classroom and an opportunity at a brighter future.

Reading First is a K-3 reading program that targets the lowest performing schools in high-poverty areas with the goal of boosting students' reading proficiency. It calls for at least 90 minutes a day of in-school reading instruction combined with reinforcement away from school.

Part of the No Child Left Behind Act, it seeks to have all children reading at or above grade level in the third grade by 2012. Consider the impact, particularly for students taking standardized tests in the fourth and eighth grades. Those who read at grade level have better comprehension skills, aiding test performance.

The study conducted by the University of Louisiana Center for Child Development, to say the least, is encouraging. It also revealed a narrowing of the performance gap between races and socioeconomic groups. According to the results, black students are making better progress in Louisiana than they are in the country as a whole, said Craig Ramey, director of the Center for Health and Education at Georgetown University.

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