VIDALIA —The Concordia Parish School District’s ACT scores went up this year.

During the 2014-2015 school year, 69 percent of students scored 18 or higher on the test. It’s a 10 percent increase from 2013-2014, where the percentage stood at 59, and a 12 percent increase from 2012-2013.

As for the overall scores, students had an average overall score of 19.4 last year, up .3 points from the 2013-2014 school year and .7 points from the 2012-2013 school year.

“We’re very thrilled with the idea that we continue to show progress in regards to our ACT scores,” Concordia Parish School District Superintendent Paul Nelson said.

Nelson said students and teachers worked hard getting ready for the test. Students did practice ACT test questions in the classroom and participated in workshops.

Students were also able to use Study Island, an online program with ACT prep material.

The goal is to get students up to a score of 20, which qualifies students for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, or TOPS. The program helps pay tuition for Louisiana students to attend Louisiana state schools.

The higher the ACT score, the more money students become eligible for.

“You can easily equate ACT scores to dollars,” Nelson said.

In the future, Nelson said the district wants to continue to work with students to improve their scores through workshops and test prep materials.

“We try to make sure that everyone understands how important the ACT scores are,” Nelson said.