Key Takeaways
- LAUSD Student Test Scores show English proficiency reaching 48.3%, while math proficiency stood at 39.7%.
- Parents criticized district leaders for celebrating modest gains despite widespread academic struggles.
- A proposed $3.6 billion budget reduction over three years includes an estimated 6,000 layoffs.
Los Angeles Unified School District officials faced criticism Thursday for celebrating modest academic gains as 2025-26 state test results showed most students still falling below English and math proficiency standards amid a looming budget crisis.
The district reported that 48.3% of students met or exceeded state standards in English language arts, while 39.7% achieved proficiency in math, according to California Department of Education data. The results marked increases of about 2 percentage points in English and 3 points in math from the previous year.
Parents Question District’s Response to Low Scores
Parents criticized district leaders for presenting the improvements positively despite the large number of students who remain below grade-level standards.
Diana Guillen accused the district of prioritizing employee benefits and spending on training without ensuring that the programs improve student outcomes. She also said she purchased a private online math program to help her son catch up academically.
“I feel that LAUSD takes no responsibility for LAUSD student test scores, because when negotiations with UTLA take place, they only discuss benefits for employees,” Guillen told the California Post, referring to United Teachers Los Angeles. She said teacher commitments to students should receive greater attention in contract negotiations.
Maria Luisa Palma, executive director of Oleada Inc. and a former LAUSD parent, said the district’s messaging could leave families unaware of their children’s academic difficulties.
“LAUSD teachers and administrators lull parents into a false sense of complacency when they celebrate tiny test score increases on an average, district-wide basis, and downplay the importance of standardized tests,” Palma told the California Post.
She added that grade inflation on report cards could make it harder for parents, particularly those from low-income households and non-English-speaking communities, to recognize when children are struggling.
Superintendent Defends Progress as Budget Risks Grow
Superintendent Andrés E. Chait defended the district’s efforts, saying the results should encourage continued work rather than complacency.
“Behind every data point is a student whose future we are working to strengthen,” Chait said. “These results encourage us to keep raising expectations, learning from what works, and ensuring that every school is equipped to help every child succeed.”
He also acknowledged parents’ expectations for their children’s education.
“Until every student is at proficiency or higher, our work continues,” Chait said.
The district’s modest academic gains come as it faces serious financial challenges. On Oct. 6, California’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team warned the school board that LAUSD, amid concerns over LAUSD Student Test Scores, was at “high risk” of insolvency.
The district’s latest budget plan calls for about $3.6 billion in cuts over three years, including an estimated 6,000 layoffs, representing more than 10% of its workforce.
Parents have also questioned why staffing levels have remained high as enrollment declines and academic improvements remain limited. However, the supplied report does not include district data establishing a direct link between staffing levels and test performance.
Other California Districts Outperform LAUSD
Test results from other Southern California districts highlighted the gap between LAUSD and higher-performing school systems.
In Irvine Unified School District, 74.3% of students met or exceeded English language arts standards, while 70.7% reached the benchmark in math. Poway Unified and Capistrano Unified also recorded proficiency rates above 60% in both subjects.
San Diego Unified, the state’s second-largest school district, reported English proficiency of 53.9% and math proficiency of 45.9%, exceeding LAUSD in both subjects.
Neighboring Long Beach Unified narrowly surpassed LAUSD in English, with 51.1% of students meeting or exceeding standards. The districts were nearly tied in math, with Long Beach at 39.9% and LAUSD at 39.7%.
Although LAUSD Student Test Scores edged above pre-pandemic performance, the figures show that most students still do not meet state benchmarks in math, while more than half fall short in English language arts.
For parents, the central concern remains whether the incremental gains will translate into meaningful improvements in classroom learning. District officials have pledged to continue working toward universal proficiency, but the latest results leave substantial academic and financial challenges ahead.
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