California test scores creep up, but still fail to offset pandemic setbacks six years later

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Set us as preferred This year’s state test scores provided a mixed send-off for the education legacy of Gov.Gavin Newsom, with incremental gains in English and math, but results that continue to fall short of prepandemic achievement levels.A clear marker of this mixed picture is English language arts: The percent of students scoring proficient or advanced increased by 0.5 of a percentage point to 49.3%.

But that was nearly 2 percentage points below the prepandemic tests of 2019.At this pace of improvement, it would take about four more years — or about a decade — to surpass the prepandemic scores.And, even before the pandemic, about half of the state’s students were not achieving the state’s learning goals.The gain in math was better, 1.1 percentage points, but only 38.4% of students scored as proficient or better.

Math scores would virtually catch up to prepandemic levels by next year at the current pace.The gain in science, a relatively new test, was better still, a strong increase of 3.3 percentage points, but that brings the proficiency rate to just 36% of students.Locally, Los Angeles Unified and Compton Unified remained bright spots, with significant sustained gains that continue their surge past prepandemic levels.

Newsom, in a statement, was looking on the glass-half-full side of the ledger.“These results provide important evidence that our sustained investments are making a difference,” Newsom said.He listed some of those efforts, which include a new grade of school, transitional kindergarten for 4-year-olds; free school meals for all; and community schools, which provide services for students and families beyond academics.

“California is working to ensure students have the resources they need to thrive,” Newsom said.“The continued progress we are seeing is a testament to the hard work of stude...