Math proficiency rates are typically lower for students in higher grades

Share of students proficient in ELA and math, by grade (%)

SOURCES: California Department of Education, California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP); National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
NOTES: California results are from the 2025 Smarter Balanced assessments for grades 3–8 and 11. National results are from the 2024 NAEP assessments for grades 4, 8, and 12. The assessments use different proficiency standards. Results compare different groups of students, not the progression of individual students across grades.
FROM: PPIC Blog, October 2026
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