In a major education announcement Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed that California’s K-12 students achieved significant gains in statewide test scores and signed a new literacy bill aimed to further bolster reading achievement across the state.
At a press conference at Alexander Science Center Elementary School in Los Angeles, Newsom was joined by Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, members of the LAUSD Board of Education and education advocates. He credited the test-score gains to years of investment in programs like transitional kindergarten, expanded after-school programs, universal meals which provide free meals to all students, and literacy support, even during challenging budget years.
“This is a proud moment,” Newsom told reporters. “When it comes to public education in this country, in this state, we tend to be focused on what’s wrong. … But I hope what you heard today (is that) things are getting better, that we’re not only moving in the right direction, we’re leading in that respect.”
Statewide test scores show broad gains
According to data released Thursday by the California Department of Education, California’s K-12 students continued to make progress on statewide tests.
The latest results from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) show that 48.8% of students met or exceeded standards in English language arts tests — a 1.8 percentage point increase from last year. Math scores rose by the same margin, with 37.3% of students meeting or exceeding standards. In science, 32.7% of students reached proficiency, up two percentage points from the previous year.
By comparison, in the 2023-2024 academic year, about 47% of students met or exceeded standards in English, roughly 36% in math, and 30.7% in science.
“We need to do more, we need to do better, and we are doing more,” Newsom said. “And as you see today, we are doing better.”
LAUSD posts record-high test scores
Los Angeles Unified School District also posted historic gains, with performance in English, math and science reaching the highest levels since the state first launched the Smarter Balanced assessments.
According to state data, the percentage of LAUSD students meeting or exceeding standards rose by 3.4 percentage points in English language arts, 3.9 percentage points in math, and 3.3 percentage points in science — outpacing the statewide increases in all three subjects.
The results not only exceeded last year’s performance but also surpassed pre-pandemic levels from 2018–19, officials said.
“Let me begin by apologizing to the entire state of California and the nation, for Los Angeles Unified is having a very special moment in history, one without precedent,” Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said at Thursday’s press conference.
He attributed the district’s progress to the hard work of teachers, staff and students, supported by targeted investment in early literacy, math intervention and expanded science instruction.
Those efforts were funded through a mix of general funds, federal programs such as Titles I, II, III, and IV, and state grants including the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) and the Literacy Coach and Reading Specialist Grant.
“I want to extend my immense gratitude to our teachers, to our support staff, to our leaders, to our school board, for staying the course,” Carvalho said. “And quite frankly, adopting the science of reading methodology in advance of the state.”
Carvalho added that the district is now outperforming its urban peers nationwide.
“As Los Angeles goes in terms of education, so goes the state of California,” he said. “I have eyes on other urban districts across the country, (and) I can tell you that the second-largest school district in the nation … is by far outpacing other states and other urban centers across the nation in terms of literacy, numeracy and science.”
District officials plan to hold a follow-up press conference Friday at 11 am at Maywood Elementary School to share more details.
Achievement gaps remain despite progress
Despite these gains, achievement gaps remain. Black, Latino, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students continued to trail statewide averages across all subjects.
In English, 32.8% of Black students, 38.8% of Latino students and 38.2% of socioeconomically disadvantaged students met or exceeded standards, compared to 48.8% overall. Math and science showed similar gaps, though each group posted year-over-year improvements.
Education officials called the progress encouraging but noted the need for continued support.
“We aspire to achieve even greater student outcomes,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in a statement. “We are working to secure additional investments to support comprehensive, long-term statewide strategies to further move the needle in student proficiency for years to come.”
Newsom signs literacy bill into law
Following the announcement of test score gains, Newsom signed into law AB 1454, also known as the Evidence‑Based Early Literacy Bill, a measure designed to accelerate reading achievement across all grade levels.
The legislation requires school districts to adopt instructional materials aligned with the “science of reading” — a research-based approach to literacy that emphasizes phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and early language development.
It also updates training standards for administrators and reading specialists and directs the state to adopt new K–8 English language arts and English language development materials by 2027. Districts must either use the state-approved list or certify that their own materials meet the same criteria.
AB1454 was co-authored by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, and Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, and passed unanimously by 38–0 in the state Senate on Sept. 12.
Newsom, who has spoken publicly about his lifelong struggle with dyslexia, called the legislation “long overdue.”
At the signing, he noted the bill “builds on over half a billion dollars that we have invested in literacy coaches over the last few years,” as well as an additional $200 million allocated in the 2025–26 state budget to support evidence-based professional development for educators.
The bill follows the launch of the Golden State Literacy Plan unveiled in June, which includes placing more than 1,000 literacy coaches and specialists in California’s highest-need schools.
The bill was praised by education leaders and organizations that backed its passage.
“AB1454 is about helping more children learn to read, and there’s nothing more important in a public education system than ensuring all kids can learn to read,” said Marshall Tuck, CEO of EdVoice, a nonprofit that advocates for education equity and backed the bill.
Martha Hernandez, executive director of Californians Together, a statewide coalition focused on improving education for English learners, called the bill “a milestone for California’s students and teachers”.
“Reading is more than sounding out words, it’s about making meaning, combining phonics and fluency with oral language, writing with background knowledge and comprehension, and English language development,” Hernandez said. “These are the skills that enable our students, including multilingual learners, to thrive as readers and writers and thinkers.”