By CSBA Principal Research Manager Jeremy Anderson and Education Policy Analyst Morgan Garvey
On Oct. 15, the California Department of Education released updates for the California School Dashboard and the results of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The Dashboard and CAASPP results paint a picture similar to the past several years: incremental progress and vast disparities between student groups.
In a statement, CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy shared how governance alignment and reciprocal accountability is needed to truly move the needle on student achievement.
“California’s students, educators and school leaders deserve recognition for the gains reflected in this year’s test scores, particularly the progress demonstrated by students who have historically been underserved by our education system,” Billy said. “But we cannot confuse modest improvement with meaningful, sustained and impactful progress. When the rise in graduation rates far exceeds growth in student performance, it suggests more and more graduates have paper credentials without the level of knowledge, we, as a state, have deemed optimal to prepare them for success after high school.
“Once again, the latest test score results demonstrate the need for the state to get serious about how California organizes state-level policy, funding and agencies to support the hard work being done at school districts and county offices of education,” Billy continued. “For years, the state has subjected local school districts and county offices of education to extensive scrutiny while failing to hold itself to comparable standards. We measure local performance relentlessly, but where is the equally rigorous assessment of whether the state’s own policies, investments, agencies and programs are working together effectively to help local educational agencies accelerate student achievement? Where is the accountability for the state government’s performance?”
Read Billy’s full statement here.
Much like the scores themselves, state leaders’ reactions to the progress echoed those of prior years. Gov. Gavin Newsom painted a rosy view of these results in his statement, linking them to many of his flagship programs by saying, “This just in, test scores are up across the board in California for the third straight year.”
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and State Board of Education (SBE) President Linda Darling-Hammond, in separate statements, lauded the progress made, but recognized there is much more work to do to improve student achievement. Thurmond acknowledged that “California has made important strides in expanding student supports and opportunities, but the pace of academic improvement reminds us that our work is far from finished,” while Darling-Hammond said, “Today’s results tell a story of continued progress, but also of the work that remains ahead.”
This year marks the first time that Dashboard and CAASPP results have been published on the same day, reflecting the SBE’s decision to provide LEAs and other education decision-makers with the full picture of student outcomes.
CAASPP score results
Overall, the 2025–26 CAASPP scores indicate:
- Progress is slowing. After gains of 1.8 points in each subject in 2024–25, this year’s increases were by just 0.5 points in English language arts (ELA) and 1.1 points in math.
- Math has recovered more than ELA. Math is 1.4 points below 2019 after falling about 6 points by 2022. ELA is 1.6 points below after falling about 4 points.
- Gaps remain large. Black and Latino students gained the most this year, yet Black and Latino students still trail white students by 22 to 30 points and trail Asian students by 34 to 49 points. Additionally, students from higher-income households outperform those from lower-income households by about 30 points. Black students are the only major group above 2019 in both subjects.
Just 49 percent of students scored proficient or advanced in ELA. This amounts to around a 0.4 percent increase from the 2024–25 results. In math, 38 percent of students scored proficient or advanced. This is a 1 percent increase over 2024–25. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, math has regained roughly three-quarters of its pandemic loss, and ELA is close to 60 percent. Math fell from 39.7 percent to 33.4 percent between 2019 and 2022. ELA fell from 51 percent to 47.1 percent during that time period and now sits 1.6 points below pre-pandemic levels.
California School Dashboard results
Scores on California School Dashboard indicators revealed positive trends for students overall, but these aggregated gains often mask troubling trends among student subgroups.
- Suspension rates are dropping. At 2.7 percent, the suspension rate for all students continues to decrease and has reached an all-time low for rates reported on the Dashboard. Declining rates were noted for African American (7.3 percent), Hispanic (2.7 percent), Pacific Islander (3.7 percent) and Long-term English learner (LTEL) students (6.1 percent), potentially signaling a shift away from punitive disciplinary measures for minor infractions. However, African American students are still suspended at a significantly higher rate than their white peers (7.3 percent versus 2.4 percent, respectively).
- Graduation rate at a 10-year high. At 88.1 percent, the graduation rate is the highest in the Dashboard’s history. All student subgroups maintained or increased their graduation rates from the 2024–25 school year, except for white students, whose graduation rate declined from 89 percent in 2024–25 to 87.4 percent in 2025–26.
- Chronic absenteeism continues to decline. At 16.1 percent, chronic absenteeism continues to decline from the post-pandemic high of 30 percent in 2022. Student groups with the highest rates of chronic absenteeism are African American students (28.7 percent), foster youth (29.6 percent) and students experiencing homelessness (30.1 percent), reflecting the intersection of chronic absenteeism with socioeconomic factors that have a negative impact on attendance, such as transportation reliability and food insecurity.
- English learner progress continues to climb at a slow rate. At 47.4 percent, the percent of English learner students making progress has increased but has yet to reach or exceed the 2022 high of 50.3 percent. In 2026, 54.1 percent of LTELs made progress. Both groups maintained their progress from the 2024–25 school year.
- Highest percentage of students prepared for college and career pathways. At 55.2 percent, college and career preparedness is at an all-time high since this indicator was first reported on the Dashboard in 2018. All student subgroups either maintained or increased their preparedness rates from the 2024–25 school year, though many subgroups remain below the statewide average, including foster youth (19.5 percent), students with disabilities (23.3 percent) and English learners (28.7 percent).
- Debut of Science as a full Dashboard indicator. Reflecting the SBE’s July 2026 decision, Science is now a full indicator on the California School Dashboard, based on student scores on the California Science Test and California Alternate Science Assessment. Compared to 2025, all students and all student subgroups maintained their 2025 progress. Science will not be used to determine differentiated assistance or Every Student Succeeds Act eligibility.
Taken together, increased graduation rates and low proficiency in core subjects raise questions about the skills with which California students are leaving their TK-12 experience. While gains in achievement and other school quality measures deserve celebration, the fact remains that growth is stagnant and longstanding achievement gaps leave thousands of students behind every year.
“With a new Governor on the horizon, California has an extraordinary opportunity to replace fragmented initiatives with a unified strategy built around student achievement, operational effectiveness and reciprocal accountability,” Billy said. “We cannot be satisfied with simply launching more programs or celebrating marginal gains. We must embrace reciprocal accountability and continue to push for better results from the entire education system, including the state government itself.”
