California high school GPAs surge while state test scores in reading and math fall
California students are earning more straight-A GPAs, yet state assessments show reading and math scores have dropped since the pandemic.
Data show a sharp increase in California high school students reporting flawless 4.0 GPAs, with applications to the University of California system climbing from 52,989 in 2015 to 103,138 for the class of 2025. Despite this, state-mandated Smarter Balanced test scores for 11th graders dropped to 57% in English and 30.5% in math in the 2024-2025 school year, still below pre-pandemic levels. Educators like Glenn Sacks say COVID-era policies pressured teachers to avoid failing grades to protect enrollment, while critics argue this has eroded grading standards.
Former student Charles Cole described how high grades did not reflect his actual preparedness for college coursework. The grade-inflation trend is prompting more than 1,200 UC professors to call for reinstating SAT/ACT requirements, and the UC Board of Regents is reviewing testing policies for the next admission cycle.
Why it matters
Rising GPAs amid falling test scores challenge colleges' ability to assess student readiness and may affect education quality.
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