California has made substantial progress in reading proficiency following major investments in literacy education over the past decade, though challenges remain in fully implementing the improvements statewide.
In 2013, California ranked 47th nationally in fourth-grade reading proficiency, with only 27% of students scoring at proficient or advanced levels on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The state subsequently implemented a comprehensive literacy overhaul beginning in 2014, including a new English language arts framework emphasizing phonics and systematic instruction methods. Additional measures included new curriculum materials, dyslexia screening tools, updates to teacher credential programs, expansion of transitional kindergarten, and new guidelines for English learners. The most significant investment came in 2023 with $500 million in grants for schools to hire literacy coaches, followed by $215 million the next year and an additional $350 million in the most recent budget cycle.
These efforts have yielded measurable results. California now ranks around the middle of the pack nationally in reading scores, with fourth-grade proficiency on state tests rising from 40% in 2014 to 46% last year. Research by the Public Policy Institute of California found that school districts investing in literacy coaches saw students score approximately 6 points higher on state tests within two years. District-level improvements have varied, but benefits extended notably to English learners. The improvements occurred while national reading scores were declining overall.
However, implementation gaps remain significant. Researchers found that 42% of school districts struggled to hire literacy coaches despite available funding. Rural and remote areas have been particularly affected, with districts along northern and southern California borders reporting difficulty recruiting qualified coaches. Some districts have adapted through alternative approaches, such as intensive summer training programs. Additionally, in some regions, teachers transitioning into literacy coaching positions have exacerbated existing classroom teacher shortages.
Schools that successfully deployed literacy coaches have documented substantial gains. One low-income dual immersion school in the San Gabriel Valley saw reading scores increase more than 10 percentage points within two years of hiring a literacy coach, while chronic absenteeism dropped significantly. Researchers suggest that expanding the literacy coach pipeline and addressing regional workforce challenges could enable California to achieve results comparable to Mississippi, which rose from 49th to 9th nationally partly through similar coaching-focused investments.