LITERACY
Education Week: Mounting evidence shows national reading scores stuck at historic lows
Students’ reading scores haven’t budged from pandemic-era lows, even as math achievement has crept up, according to new data released on Oct. 14 from the testing group NWEA. The latest analysis of the organization’s MAP tests, taken several times a year by more than 20 million K-8 students, looks at reading and math achievement in spring 2025. In math, students in most grades have continued to make slow and steady progress, a trend that began in spring 2021, though overall scores are still below pre-pandemic levels. But in reading, scores in most grades are unchanged from spring 2021 — and in some cases, have fallen further. As a result, the brief’s authors write, “the lack of progress in reading means literacy could become the more persistent barrier to full recovery.” The reading slump has been well documented in other data sources. In January, results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed reading scores for fourth and eighth grades continuing to drop, and the gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students growing ever larger. On NAEP, this trend predates the pandemic.
“Why is math recovering (albeit slowly and modestly) but reading is continuing to decline? It’s hard to say,” wrote NWEA researchers Megan Kuhfeld and Karyn Lewis in a March article about overall national achievement trends. Kuhfeld, NWEA’s director of growth modeling and data analytics, and Lewis, the organization’s vice president of research and policy partnerships, also co-authored the most recent brief. “One possibility is that schools focused recovery efforts more heavily on math skills coming out of the pandemic, since math is where the largest initial drops were reported,” they wrote in the March article. “Another factor may be that math, by its nature, is easier to remediate. Mathematical concepts can often be broken down into discrete skills, making targeted interventions easier to implement.” Reading practices that might move the needle on student achievement, they wrote, “may be more dependent on broader instruction shifts” that take longer to translate into improved outcomes. Other data, though, suggest that factors beyond pandemic-era schooling disruptions might also play a role in declining reading scores: Adult Americans’ literacy scores have fallen over the past decade, too, international exams show.
TEACHERS
K-12 Dive: Teacher turnover contributes to suspensions and referrals, study finds
Teacher turnover contributes to higher rates of student suspensions and office disciplinary referrals, according to a study based on New York City Public Schools data published by the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. A teacher’s departure midyear increased the probability of students receiving a suspension or referral by 20 percent to 30 percent on average for each year of experience the departing teacher had, according to the study, which examined data for grades 6-12 over 11 academic years between 2011–12 and 2021–22. On the other hand, students are less likely to be disciplined when teachers stay. A 4.5 percent drop in teachers leaving midyear led to an average 2.4 percent reduction in suspensions and 1.9 percent drop in referrals, while a 13.3 percent decrease in year-end teacher departures led to average drops of 7.2 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively.
The increases in discipline rates due to staffing instability were disproportionately concentrated among Black students and others from underrepresented backgrounds, according to the study. Researchers analyzed student characteristics like demographics, special education status and disciplinary records, as well as school characteristics such as enrollment and student-teacher ratio, and teacher data like years of experience, full-time status and resignation timing. Those findings were not particularly surprising to Luis Rodriguez, professor of educational leadership and policy studies at NYU Steinhardt, who conducted the study in partnership with Christopher Redding, professor of educational leadership and policy from University of Florida. Rodriguez and Redding also weren’t especially surprised by the correlations with both teacher experience level and when the teacher left during the school year.
HIGHER EDUCATION
CalMatters: A scholarship for Black California students has to accept white applicants. Here’s why
A scholarship for Black students at University of California, San Diego is now available to anyone, regardless of race, after students and a right-leaning nonprofit organization sued the university for discrimination this July. The plaintiffs argued that the scholarship fund violated a series of laws, including the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which was put in place to protect Black Americans in the South. One of the students, Kai Peters, said he was denied access to the scholarship because he isn’t Black. Peters sent a written statement to CalMatters through the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, the nonprofit plaintiff. He said his rejection is an example of “institutionalized racism” — a phrase that was created in part to characterize how government institutions discriminate against Black Americans. The Black Alumni Scholarship Fund for UC San Diego students is now called the Goins Alumni Scholarship Fund, named after its founding donor Lennon Goins, according to a press release. Its website says each scholarship is worth $2,500 and that nearly 275 scholarships have been awarded since 2016. The rebranded scholarship program is just one of numerous initiatives in California that have come under scrutiny in the last two years. Last summer, the Supreme Court overturned precedent that allowed private universities in the state to use affirmative action, and this year, the Trump administration has ended numerous campus initiatives promoting diversity.
Racial discrimination is illegal in the U.S., but in California, the standard of what constitutes discrimination depends in part on whether an entity is public or private. While private entities, including nonprofits and foundations, have long offered scholarships and programs for certain racial or ethnic groups — arguing that spending money is a form of free speech — state agencies, including the UC campuses, are prohibited from any form of affirmative action after California voters passed Proposition 209 in 1996. To avoid legal scrutiny, UC San Diego moved the Black Alumni Scholarship Fund to the private San Diego Foundation in 1998, according to the September iteration of the fund’s website. But in the lawsuit, Joshua Thompson, an attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation which represented the plaintiffs, and his legal team alleged that the university has remained involved in the scholarship’s operation. “Our allegations were that (UC San Diego officials) were conspiring with a private entity to get around (Prop.) 209 and the Equal Protection Clause.” Specifically, he said the university was giving the San Diego Foundation information about which students identified as Black on their college applications and that the leadership of the fund included some university officials. The Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 prohibits government agencies from using private entities to discriminate. Back then, government agencies and law enforcement, especially in the South, often used private groups — most famously, the Ku Klux Klan — to terrorize Black communities.
LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES
The Modesto Bee: Grant lets these Stanislaus high school students access college classes on campus
Patterson Joint Unified School District received a $100,000 grant from the state to expand its dual enrollment program, which allows high school students to access college courses. The new funding from the California Department of Education will let students take these college courses at Patterson High School instead of needing to drive to Modesto Junior College (MJC). According to district spokesperson Johnny Padilla, the new funding will enable students to take their collegiate courses during their regular school day with instructional support from some Patterson High School teachers. That will reduce the time and driving commitment that dual enrollment previously required of participating students. “Students benefit academically by earning college and high school credit simultaneously (including A-G coursework), reducing the cost and time needed to complete college coursework, developing college-level study skills and confidence before graduation, and by aligning courses with career and academic goals through individualized advising,” Padilla said in a statement to The Bee.
The district introduced dual enrollment in 2022 with about 50 students participating. Participation has steadily increased, with 150 students now enrolled. “While our district seeks to expand program enrollment by as many students as possible, we anticipate a steady increase of about 50 students per year, with a focus on engaging underrepresented student populations who have previously faced barriers such as transportation, cost, or scheduling,” Padilla continued. The district offers history, logistics, sociology, English, business, personal finance classes and more for students through dual enrollment with MJC.
Marin Independent Journal: Marin education official chosen for state advisory panel
The superintendent of the Reed Union School District been chosen for a statewide panel with the California School Boards Association. Kimberly McGrath, who is in her fifth year at the Tiburon peninsula district, has been named to the Superintendents Advisory Council to assist association President-elect Debra Schade. The two-year term begins in January. “This council is a crucial link between local school districts and the state-level decision-making body of the CSBA,” said McGrath, who has an education career of more than 30 years. “I look forward to contributing my perspective and assistance in areas that are critical for student success statewide. This role is a great opportunity to ensure that the practical realities of our local school districts are understood and considered at the state level,” she said.
John Carroll, the Marin superintendent of schools, said McGrath’s “extensive experience in education and as a district superintendent greatly qualify her for this role. It’s great to have a strong Marin voice at the state level,” he said. McGrath was nominated for the council by association colleagues, superintendents and others who worked with her during her two years on the association’s artificial intelligence (AI) committee, according to Troy Flint, spokesperson for the organization. McGrath was appointed to the AI panel starting in 2023, according to Flint. McGrath “was held in high regard” on the panel, he said. “She offered outstanding service in the two years she was there,” he said.
EdSource: Collaboration lies at the heart of LAUSD’s test score gains
When students walk into Gina Gray’s English classroom in Middle College High School on any given testing day, she greets them with encouragement: “Tap into your genius. You have it,” Gray reminds the 11th graders. “Just do your best. … All we can ask you is to show what you know.” Students across the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) did just that when they took the test, known as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The 2025 test scores mark a milestone for the district — year-over-year growth of LAUSD students is outpacing that of the state, and students are now performing at higher levels than they did pre-pandemic. “Thinking that everyone’s gonna just be at the top, that’s an unrealistic goal for teaching and learning,” Gray said. “If everyone came into the ninth grade knowing every standard and every rule, what would be my role?”
According to recently released scores on the 2025 state Smarter Balanced Assessments, more than 46 percent of LAUSD students met or exceeded state standards in English, marking more than a 3 percent increase from the previous year. And in math, the district’s scores improved nearly 4 percent, with 36.7 percent meeting or exceeding state standards. At another Los Angeles Unified press briefing, Karla Estrada, the district’s deputy superintendent of instruction, attributed the uptick in scores to the work of its credentialed teachers, professional development opportunities for staff, high-quality instructional materials, small group instruction, and additional interventions, like tutoring. Still, more than half of LAUSD’s student body is not meeting state standards in English, and nearly two-thirds are not meeting them in math. Just over a quarter met state standards in science. LAUSD falls behind the state average on all three. Across the district, roughly 36 percent of African American students and about 41 percent of Hispanic students met or exceeded standards in English — compared to about 69 percent of white students and roughly 80 percent of Asian students. Despite the progress, there remains a wide gulf between the performance of Hispanic and African American students and their Asian and white peers.
The Tribune: SLO County school board refuses to consider resolution on trans athletes
The Paso Robles school board will not consider a resolution restricting transgender students in the interest of protecting cisgender girls, it decided last week. The vote came after trustee Kenney Enney said he’d heard from families concerned about district policies that, in accordance with California law, permit transgender girls to participate on girls sports teams and use girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. He also read a letter he said he received from a Paso Robles High School student who felt unsafe due to the district’s policies. Enney did not name the student. He suggested the board take up a resolution at a future board meeting. While he didn’t produce a specific written document, he said his desired resolution would “ban boys from the girls’ spaces.” Previously in the meeting, he said the resolution would be geared toward “protecting the privacy of girls’ locker rooms and private spaces, and keeping the … boys off of the girls’ athletic teams.”
While Enney appeared to propose a resolution as a policy change, resolutions don’t typically affect how schools operate. They’re instead used to signal a board’s stance on a topic. During the meeting, Enney made it clear he opposed Paso Robles’ policies and wants change — but most of his fellow school board members didn’t agree. The board struck down Enney’s suggestion in a 4-3 vote. Enney and trustees Laurene McCoy and Leo Castillo voted in favor of the motion, while trustees Joel Peterson, Sondra Williams, Nathan Williams and Jim Cogan voted no. Those who spoke in opposition said they felt the school board wasn’t in a position to take official action on the topic, which has left school leaders grasping for legal answers as federal directives butt up against California law.
The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento County Schools Superintendent Dave Gordon to retire: ‘It’s just time’
After 21 years in the job and with his 80th birthday approaching next September, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools Dave Gordon is ready to chart a course toward retirement. That doesn’t mean, though, that Gordon, who announced Oct. 20 he will retire in June 2027, is planning to do nothing once his job ends. “It’s just time,” Gordon, 79, told The Sacramento Bee of his impending retirement. “I’ve had a full and very gratifying work life. We’ll just move on to new pursuits.” So will end the tenure of a public figure who quietly wielded sizable influence heading up the Sacramento County Office of Education.
A release by a county spokesperson to mark Gordon’s impending retirement noted that the office “directly educates more than 30,000 children and adults each year” and provides support services to more than 250,000 students in 13 districts. The office helps with staff development, curriculum and technical assistance, among other services. Gordon, who has devoted much of his life to education, said it was a joy for him to work and that the people he’d worked with had been extraordinary teachers and leaders. Gordon explained that the more than 18-month runway to when he will actually retire is about him wanting to give his board plenty of time to find his replacement. He said that his job is unusual in that it’s one of only about four appointed positions in the state, with most county superintendents being elected.
East Bay Times: West Contra Costa schools brace for potential teacher, staff strikes
Stuck in contentious negotiations over new contracts, two West Contra Costa Unified School District unions have overwhelmingly voted in favor of striking if district leadership cannot adequately meet their demands. More than 95 percent of members represented by the United Teachers of Richmond and Teamsters Local 856 separately voted recently to authorize strikes. That means about 3,000 district employees, from teachers and education specialists to maintenance and food service workers, could walk off the job if deals aren’t struck in the coming months. “Our district needs to prioritize stability for our students, now,” United Teachers of Richmond President Francisco Ortiz said in a press release announcing the vote. “We are committed to do whatever it takes to win the fully staffed classrooms our students so desperately need.” Contracts for both unions expired June 30 after negotiations on new contracts began in early 2025. Similar sticking points have led to impasses in the separate negotiation processes, now requiring a third party to assist with mediation and fact-finding. Once that process concludes and a final report is issued, the unions can officially legally strike.
Both unions are seeking better pay for their members, better staffing levels and other improved working conditions. The requests come at a fiscally unstable time for the district, which has had to make tens of millions of dollars worth of cuts in recent years to maintain local control. But union members have argued the district could afford to meet union demands in part by adjusting the amount spent on contracted services. Representatives with the district office and Board President Leslie Reckler did not respond to requests for comment as of press time Oct. 17. But district leadership have taken clear steps in preparation for potential strikes. During a special meeting Oct. 20, trustees voted 4-1 to pay substitute teachers $550 per day if staff strike and to allow the superintendent to take legal action to stop the strike if the board is unable to meet within 24 hours to vote in favor of that action itself. Superintendent Cheryl Cotton, who asked that pay be set at $750, said the increased rates were necessary to protect the constitutional rights of students to access a safe and educational environment by enticing people to cross the picket line. Substitute teachers are currently being offered about $280 a day, Cotton said. Trustee Demetrio Gonzalez Hoy, the lone vote against the measure, warned that tripling the daily substitute teacher rate could be seen as a union busting tactic that would also encourage staff to strike longer.
Times Standard: Eureka-Arcata boys soccer match to be played with no spectators
Due to displays of unsportsmanlike conduct from spectators and players at a game held earlier this month against McKinleyville, Eureka High has determined the next boys soccer game will be played without fans. This determination was made after the school conferred with the Humboldt-Del Norte League (H-DNL) and governing bodies from the Officials Association to the North Coast Section and California Interscholastic Federation. The Oct. 11 Logger home game versus the Panthers was deemed a forfeit for Eureka, according to H-DNL commissioner Jack Lakin, as action was called prior to the expected timed conclusion of the game. Per Lakin, “only players, coaches, officials, athletic trainers and school administrators will be in attendance” for the Oct. 18 home contest with league-leading Arcata.
Lakin also said, “The League supports and commends Eureka High School for this decision. Officials come to our schools and game sites, providing a service which gives our student-athletes an opportunity to compete in educational athletics. They deserve our respect, appreciation and gratitude; not abuse, insults and threats.” According to H-DNL Student Athletic Advisory Council liaison Kristie Christiansen, who guides the organization of two student-athletes per member school, there will be a meeting of the group, and a comment might be forthcoming from students. Lakin said the decision was made by Eureka High in response to the “concerns and expectations” expressed by the governing bodies and continued, “the H-DNL has a Student Athletic Advisory Council that is a strong advocate and promoter for positive sportsmanship at our local high school games. In a recently released sportsmanship video, their message contained the following: ‘Officials are a part of the game, just like athletes and coaches. They make mistakes just like we do. Without officials, there are no games. Whether you like the calls or not, RESPECT them.’”
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