L.A. Fires: One year later
Play, potties, preschool: TK for All
California’s Reading Dilemma
Saving Head Start
Falling rates, rising risk: Vaccination rates down in California
Five Years Later: Covid’s Lasting Impact on Education
California is part of a national debate over how to teach reading fueled by exhaustive brain research into the science of reading that suggests that most children must be explicitly taught how to connect sounds with letters. The philosophical tug-of-war pits teaching phonics, how to sound it out, and teaching meaning, how to think it through. The stakes are very high: research shows that students who aren’t reading at grade level by the third grade will struggle to catch up throughout their education career. Only 48.5% of third-graders tested at grade level or above in English language arts during the 2018-19 school year, before the pandemic stalled all learning. In 2022 only 42.17 of third-graders tested at grade level. And in 2024, just 42.8% of third-graders were at grade level.
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October 09, 2025
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has approved Assembly Bill 1454, which provides elementary school teachers with training in evidence-based reading instruction and includes $480 million in the 2025-26 budget to support literacy instruction.
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The screenings give teachers and parents early indications of areas that can help children learn to read and could point to a need for further evaluation.
A 2023 California law requires all students in kindergarten, first and second grade to be screened for risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia.
The latest push for phonics-based instruction follows decades of debate on how to teach reading.
On July 1, the unpopular Reading Instruction Competence Assessment will be replaced with a performance assessment to ensure teachers are prepared to teach students to read.
One year after the L.A. fires, schools are on varied paths to recovery. This project looks into the major milestones and obstacles faced by Pasadena Unified and Los Angeles Unified and what lies ahead.
After years of gradual expansion, California is making transitional kindergarten available for all 4-year-olds this fall.
Head Start is a national anti-poverty program for children from families living below the national poverty line. Much of the program is focused on providing preschool for 4-year-olds and support for their families. However, the Trump administration has threatened to cut funding for the program. Our special report explores the implications.
School vaccination rates came into greater focus as Texas grappled with a deadly measles outbreak and federal health and education revisited long-standing vaccination requirements for entry into public schools. At the same time, the most recent data indicates a drop in kindergarten vaccination rates that's brought some areas of California below herd immunity, increasing the possibility of a Texas-like outbreak in some parts of the state.
commentaries
March 18, 2026
What comes after the literacy law: Lessons for California from other states
EdSource Commentaries
California’s new literacy law is a step in the right direction, but successful implementation will require clear communication of quality standards, curriculum-focused professional learning and need-based support for districts. We can learn from what other states have done.
December 31, 2025
AI is here, but can it help my Johnny read?
EdSource Commentaries
AI has the potential to revolutionize education, but it should not be used as a substitute for human interaction and experienced educators.
August 04, 2025
I faked reading in third grade. Too many Black kids still have to
EdSource Commentaries
In California, only 30% of Black children can read proficiently by the end of third grade. To change this narrative, we must act decisively and early.
March 05, 2025
Popular textbook evaluation organization hasn’t followed the science
EdSource Commentaries
To improve literacy instruction, California policymakers must select curriculum based on evidence of how young children learn to read.
February 08, 2025
California should emulate states posting gains on ‘nation’s report card’
EdSource Commentaries
With more purposeful state leadership, future NAEP score releases could someday highlight better results for California’s students too.
April 01, 2024
English learners, too, would benefit from fixing how we teach reading in California; this bill is a good start
EdSource Commentaries
Bill opponents should seek to improve the legislation rather leave students with outdated reading instruction.
January 30, 2024
The solution to California’s literacy problem needs to go beyond third grade
EdSource Commentaries
We cannot support and empower adolescent readers when their only choices for practice are juvenile stories like “Hop on Pop.”
January 29, 2024
Solving California’s early literacy crisis is a social justice imperative
EdSource Commentaries
California must pass a comprehensive literacy policy agenda based on the science of reading to ensure all children can become proficient.
January 06, 2024
One size doesn’t fit all in learning how to read
EdSource Commentaries
Schools risk breaking the law when they insist teachers stick to the same script for all students.
November 13, 2023
Parents have a powerful role in improving literacy education
EdSource Commentaries
Parents have a critical and multifaceted role to play in their children’s learning; unfortunately, many parents are unclear about their children’s progress in learning to read
October 04, 2022
Struggling early readers can catch up over time; let’s figure out how
David Wakelyn
Tracking the same students over time reveals previously unseen improvements in reading after third grade.
August 22, 2022
Other states, select California districts can inform our comprehensive approach to literacy
Linda Darling-Hammond
“Positive outlier” districts in California are already demonstrating how to successfully improve literacy in our diverse state with its decentralized education system.
August 18, 2022
What it will take to ensure literacy for all California students
Linda Darling-Hammond
After decades of underfunding its public schools, California’s investments in equity and literacy are showing progress.