U.S.’s most populous state pushes mandatory kindergarten math screening

Senate Bill 1067, introduced by state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, would require all public schools to assess students from kindergarten through second grade for early math difficulties and provide additional support to those identified as struggling.

The bill passed the state Senate unanimously in May and cleared the Assembly Committee on Education on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The proposal comes as students across all grade levels in California, home to some 39 million residents, have long struggled in math. Last year, only 37% of public school third graders met state grade-level math standards, while 68% fell short. The state also ranks 43rd nationwide in fourth-grade math performance. Among low-income students, just 26% meet grade-level expectations, according to state data.

Education experts attribute part of the problem to uneven access to early childhood education. Before transitional kindergarten became available to all 4-year-olds last year, children entered kindergarten with widely different levels of math readiness.

Some had already learned counting and basic arithmetic through preschool or at home, while others, particularly from low-income families, had little or no exposure to numbers or letters, according to U.S. News & World Report. Because both transitional kindergarten and kindergarten remain optional in California, some children begin first grade without any formal math instruction.

Children sit and listen as a teacher demonstrates a math problem in class. Illustration from Pexels

"When you have 37% at grade level, that is a failure, and we have to take ownership of that, and we have to do better," Pierson said Wednesday.

She said the proposal "is not a high stakes testing bill," stressing that school districts would continue using their own assessment tools and that the legislation would not dictate curriculum, teaching methods or intervention models.

"It simply provides educators and families with timely information, so that students who need support do not fall through the cracks."

Debate over mandatory math screening

Supporters say earlier identification of learning difficulties could help students receive assistance before they fall behind. However, educators and researchers told LA Times that screening alone will not address California's broader math challenges.

Los Angeles Unified school board member Nick Melvoin said he supports the goal of identifying math difficulties early but questioned whether a statewide testing mandate is the best approach. He noted that students enter first grade with varying educational backgrounds because preschool participation differs and kindergarten is not mandatory.

David Goldberg, president of the California Teachers Association, said mandatory screening would have limited impact without greater investment in math instruction, teacher training and support for struggling students.

Deborah Stipek, professor emerita at Stanford University specializing in early childhood and elementary education, said the bill requires schools to identify students who need help without providing educators with the resources or interventions needed to address learning gaps, potentially increasing pressure on teachers.

Teachers also questioned whether the assessments are suitable for young children and warned they could reduce classroom instruction time.

"Math, so much of it, especially in the primary grades is hands-on," Nicole Estrada, a first-grade teacher at Lucille Smith Elementary School in Lawndale, said. "It's them touching things, counting them, drawing things. I think a screener would be really difficult for kids like that."

Pierson argued that postponing intervention would have lasting consequences, adding that she expects the bill to reach the governor's desk before the legislative session ends in late August.

"When we wait and see, we are losing more students," Pierson said. "We'll look up and 10 years have gone by, we've lost a whole other generation of students."