California leans on phonics

California is pushing deeper into phonics-based reading instruction as state and local data show a mixed picture: statewide scores remain weak by long-term measures, while some districts are posting gains. EdSource reported on May 13 that districts including Compton Unified and Modesto City Schools were improving faster than demographically similar systems in a national Education Scorecard analysis. The California Department of Education said in October that statewide English language arts proficiency rose 1.8 percentage points in 2024-25. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1454 in 2025, requiring teacher training and new state action on evidence-based literacy materials. ### Why are California officials still talking about a reading problem if scores went up? The National Assessment of Educational Progress shows reading scores had been falling before the pandemic for both fourth and eighth graders, according to EdSource’s May 13 report summarizing the Education Scorecard findings. Harvard professor Thomas Kane, who helped create the scorecard, said the pandemic followed “seven years of steady erosion in achievement.” Nationally, students remain nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading scores, the report said. (edsource.org) California’s own test data show improvement, but not a full recovery. The state education department said 2024-25 results showed modest gains across subjects, including a 1.8 percentage point increase in students meeting or exceeding standards in English language arts. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said those results reflected investments including reading coaches and professional development, while also saying more work remained. (edsource.org) ### Which districts are showing the clearest gains? Compton Unified and Modesto City Schools were identified by researchers as districts where reading growth outpaced demographically similar districts in the same state, EdSource reported. The article said researchers reviewed state test scores from grades three through eight in more than 5,000 districts across 38 states. Compton Unified also appeared in the state’s October 2025 release as a district with notable gains. (cde.ca.gov) The California Department of Education said the share of students meeting or exceeding standards in Compton rose 8.0 percentage points in English language arts and 6.4 points in math. Los Angeles Unified has also been cited as an early adopter of science-of-reading lesson plans. LA School Report reported earlier that the district aimed to use the approach across all elementary schools in the 2024-25 academic year, after Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said about half of its elementary schools had already adopted aligned lessons. (edsource.org) (cde.ca.gov) ### What changed inside classrooms? EdSource said the districts showing gains paired phonics-based instruction with extra support for struggling readers. The article described a broader shift away from approaches that de-emphasized phonics and encouraged students to guess words from context clues. California’s literacy guidance now defines evidence-based instruction to include foundational skills such as print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency, alongside vocabulary, comprehension, writing, speaking and listening. (laschoolreport.com) That framework matches the state law Newsom signed in 2025, which EdSource said provides elementary teachers with training in evidence-based reading instruction focused on phonics. (edsource.org) David Wakelyn, president of the education nonprofit California Reading Coalition, wrote in EdSource in October that districts with sustained gains shared several operational traits: multiyear teacher training, more protected literacy time, and coaching built into classrooms. He cited examples from districts outside California that added 90-minute to two-hour literacy blocks, explicit phonics, and small-group intervention. (cde.ca.gov) ### Why does consistency across grades matter? Assembly Bill 1454 moved California toward a more uniform literacy framework. EdSource reported that the law requires training in evidence-based reading instruction and directs the State Board of Education to adopt compatible instructional materials for first through eighth grade classrooms. State and district leaders argue that common routines and materials reduce variation from classroom to classroom. (edsource.org) The California Department of Education says its literacy approach is meant to align foundational skills with oral language, vocabulary and comprehension, giving schools a shared structure for instruction. ### What happens next in California’s literacy push? The State Board of Education is required under AB 1454 to adopt evidence-based literacy materials for grades one through eight, according to EdSource’s October 2025 report. (edsource.org) The 2025-26 state budget included $480 million to support literacy instruction, including $200 million in one-time funding for teacher training, EdSource said. (cde.ca.gov) California’s next public benchmarks will come through future state assessment releases and dashboard updates from the Department of Education. Districts including Compton, Los Angeles and Modesto are likely to remain closely watched as the state rolls out the law’s training and materials requirements. (cde.ca.gov) (edsource.org)