A new law will require all California school districts to test students’ math skills in kindergarten, first grade and second grade. If students need extra support, their schools must provide it.
State Sen. Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson, a Democrat who represents District 39, wrote the bill. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law over the weekend.
“This will help identify students who are having challenges in math early and connect students with timely, evidence-based support before they fall behind,” Weber Pierson told the State Senate’s education committee in April.
The assessments will check students’ understanding of grade level math skills.
“You might see a question that shows a picture of five fish and three fish, and it’ll say, ‘Which one has more fish?’” said Marshall Tuck, the chief executive officer of EdVoice. The nonprofit sponsored the bill.
Kids who don’t go to preschool might miss out on those skills. If kids don’t get the support they need to catch up, it can mean years of difficulty with math.
“If you don’t learn multiplication, fractions are super difficult,” Tuck said. “And if you don’t learn fractions, algebra is out of reach.”
Less than half of San Diego County’s students are doing math at grade level, according to state testing data. That number drops below 30% for students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
Weber Pierson has also cited the rising need for remedial math education among UC San Diego students.
Some teacher and administrator groups worry that the law doesn’t come with additional funding. Kathlan Latimer, with the California Mathematics Council, asked the education committee in April to fund teacher training and additional classroom support staff.
“We urge the prioritization of investments that build educator expertise, support effective teaching, and expand access to high quality mathematics learning experiences for all students,” she said.
Instead, the law encourages districts to use existing state funding to support students who need extra help. That help could include one-on-one or small group tutoring, according to the law.
Some districts already test their youngest students’ math skills. (San Diego Unified uses iReady assessments in kindergarten, first and second grade, according to a district spokesperson.) Many other districts don’t, Tuck said. He said this is a big step in prioritizing math instruction in California.
“We think, in many ways, what’s great about this bill is it’s going to push districts and schools to focus more on math,” he said.
Districts must start assessing students’ math skills by the 2028-29 school year.
