California students showed some progress in recovering from the impact of the Covid pandemic on their academic achievement, with slight increases in English language arts, math, and science scores last school year, according to state data released on Wednesday.
Overall, there was a slight increase in English language arts test scores, with 47% of students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards in 2024 compared to 46.7% in 2023. Math and science scores also saw incremental improvements, with 30.7% of students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards in both subjects, up from 30.2% the previous year.
These scores are part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), which includes the Smarter Balanced tests given to students in third through eighth grades and in 11th grade.
After the disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic, which led to significant declines in test scores, this past school year marked the third year since students returned to in-person learning. While the progress is encouraging, there is still work to be done to fully regain pre-pandemic achievement levels.
Students from low-income households showed larger gains in all three subjects compared to students overall. This is a positive shift from the initial impact of the pandemic, indicating that targeted support for students with the most needs is making a difference.
California State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond highlighted the gains made by the state’s public schools, particularly for vulnerable groups such as Latino and Black students. She credited the investments in programs like community schools, expanded learning time, and literacy and math initiatives for contributing to the improvements.
Despite the progress, there are concerns about the persistent achievement gap, especially for Black and Latino students. Advocacy group Children Now expressed alarm over the lack of progress in closing the gap over the past decade and called for additional measures to ensure equitable funding reaches schools and students most in need.
The data also revealed variations in test scores across different regions and school districts. Some districts, like Los Angeles Unified and Compton Unified, saw improvements in test scores, while others, like West Contra Costa Unified, are still working to bring scores back to pre-pandemic levels.
Overall, the state’s efforts to support students with the most needs through targeted funding and programs have shown promising results, but there is ongoing work needed to address the persistent challenges in achieving equity and closing the achievement gap.