California's Education System Struggles to Recover from Pandemic Setbacks, Leaving Students Behind in Test Scores

California school districts have made minimal progress in reversing the decline in test scores since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Math scores showed a slight improvement, while English language arts scores declined slightly. The proficiency gap between Black and Latino students and white and Asian students remained largely unchanged. The statewide scores are particularly concerning as the proportion of high-need students has increased. The chronic absenteeism rate also remains high, with nearly a quarter of all students being chronically absent. Despite record levels of funding, staffing shortages and student absences continue to hinder efforts to improve student achievement.