Why 11 California school districts are 'examples of what is possible'

Eleven California school districts have been recognized by the Education Scorecard as 'Districts on the Rise' for their substantial gains in reading and math scores relative to peers. The districts—Berkeley Unified, Bonita Unified, Compton Unified, Delano Union Elementary, Kings Canyon Joint Unified, Little Lake City Elementary, Ontario-Montclair, Orange Unified, Oxnard, San Carlos Elementary, and Sanger Unified—represent diverse student populations and geographic areas, including urban, rural, and suburban settings. The Education Scorecard, a collaboration between Harvard University, Stanford University, and Dartmouth College, identified over 100 such districts nationwide. These districts demonstrated 'large improvements in reading and math' compared to their state counterparts, serving as models for others struggling with academic stagnation. California ranks 19th in math growth and 29th in reading progress among U.S. states between 2022 and 2025, according to the report. The findings highlight a 'learning recession' that began in 2013, with declines accelerating after the pandemic. The report attributes the issue to weakened federal accountability measures and increased screen time among students. The Education Scorecard suggests states could fund visits for struggling districts to learn from high-performing ones. Tom Kane, faculty director of Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research, noted that the pandemic exacerbated long-standing achievement gaps, following years of erosion in student performance. While math scores rebounded post-pandemic, reading continued to decline through 2024, with slight improvements in 2025. The report emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to reverse trends and close achievement gaps in California and beyond.