California students lag in reading and math as test scores show minimal gains
Statewide test results released in spring 2026 show that just under half of California pupils meet English standards and fewer than four in ten reach math proficiency, with only marginal improvements from the previous year.
Spring 2026 standardized tests reveal that 49.3% of California students met or exceeded state English language arts standards, and only 38.4% achieved math proficiency, marking modest gains of 0.5 and 1.1 points respectively over the prior year. Both metrics still fall short of the 2018-19 pre-pandemic performance of 50.9% in English and 39.7% in math. Education scholars say the pace of improvement is insufficient and stress the need for rigorous rollout of policies like the state's science-of-reading legislation.
The data also highlight a persistent achievement gap: about 61.1% of socioeconomically disadvantaged students failed English standards and 72.6% fell short in math, a roughly 30-point difference from their peers. English learners fared better after reclassification, with 60.9% meeting English standards versus 53.5% of native speakers. Republican superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw criticized the state's $150 billion education budget as ineffective given these outcomes.
Why it matters
The results expose ongoing learning gaps in California, affecting millions of students and prompting calls for stronger education reforms.
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