Inside Californias best and worst performing schools as state releases latest test scores

One California elementary school had nearly every student meet state standards in reading and math last spring — while another saw fewer than 5% of its students hit the mark, according to newly released test scores.Cold Spring Elementary in Santa Barbara County topped the rankings, with 100% of tested students meeting or exceeding the state standard in English language arts and 98.97% doing so in math.At the other end of the list, just 3.57% of students tested at San Mateo Park Elementary — located between San Francisco and San Jose — met the English standard, while 5.56% met the bar in math.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story The rankings cover 8,682 public schools, including charter schools, based on the average percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards in English and math on the California Department of Education’s 2025-26 Smarter Balanced assessments.Thirty-eight schools averaged 90% or higher, while 201 schools averaged below 10%.

The typical school averaged about 40%, according to a data analysis of the newly released results by the California Post.Statewide, 49.3% of students met or exceeded the English standard, compared with 38.4% in math, highlighting the challenges facing California schools as educators work to improve academic performance.California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, XCalifornia Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!California Post App: Download here!Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!But the dramatic differences between individual schools also reflect the unequal circumstances students face outside the classroom, according to Morgan Polikoff, a professor of education at ...