California Schools Show Vast Performance Gaps in Latest Test Scores

Newly released test scores from California's 2025-2026 Smarter Balanced assessments reveal a significant disparity in student performance, with some elementary schools achieving near-perfect proficiency rates while others fall below 5%. The data, covering 8,682 public and charter schools, underscores ongoing challenges in academic achievement across the state.

Cold Spring Elementary in Santa Barbara County emerged as the top-performing school, with 100% of tested students meeting or exceeding the state standard in English language arts and 98.97% in math. At the other end of the spectrum, San Mateo Park Elementary, located between San Francisco and San Jose, saw only 3.57% of its students meet the English standard and 5.56% meet the math standard.

Statewide, 49.3% of students met or exceeded the English standard, while 38.4% met the math standard. According to an analysis by The California Post, 38 schools averaged 90% or higher, while 201 schools averaged below 10%. The typical school averaged around 40% proficiency.

Experts point to a variety of factors contributing to these performance gaps. Morgan Polikoff, a professor of education at the University of Southern California, noted that schools in more affluent neighborhoods often outperform those in disadvantaged communities. He stated, "On average, that’s absolutely true. It’s true in California, and it’s true everywhere."

Disadvantaged communities often face challenges outside the classroom, such as poverty, homelessness, and foster care, which can impact student performance. Additionally, schools serving these areas often struggle with teacher retention, with experienced educators frequently opting for positions in more advantaged schools.

Small school size can also significantly impact percentage-based results. Cold Spring Elementary, with only 97 students tested in English and math, saw each student's result move its overall percentage by approximately one point. Similarly, Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter, rounding out the top five, had about 100 students tested.

Other high-performing schools included Science Academy STEM Magnet in Los Angeles Unified, Gretchen Whitney High in ABC Unified, and Oxford Academy in Anaheim Union High School District.

At the lower end of the rankings, San Mateo Park Elementary's performance was notably below the average for its own district, the San Mateo-Foster City School District, where about half of students met the state standards in each subject. Other schools with low proficiency rates included Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary in Oakland Unified and two schools within Barstow Unified: Barstow Junior High and Crestline Elementary. Hoopa Valley Elementary in the Klamath-Trinity Joint Unified School District also reported low scores, particularly in math, with only 1.4% of students meeting the standard.