California may soon test children on math as early as kindergarten in effort to curb dismal scores

1 8 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred Confronted with math test scores showing that 68% of California public school third-graders do not meet grade-level standards, state lawmakers are considering one way to potentially reverse the trend: Give kindergartners a math test to find out if they are ready for the rigors of first grade. Do they have a sense of what numbers mean? Can they group items? Can they compare quantities? Do they know the difference between a square and a circle? By discovering what the state’s youngest students know about early, foundational math concepts, teachers can better target weaknesses before their skills sink, said supporters of the early tests. Senate Bill 1067, authored by Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-La Mesa), would require every public school to assess students in kindergarten through second grade for early math difficulties and provide additional support to those who are struggling. Engage with our community-funded journalism as we delve into child care, transitional kindergarten, health and other issues affecting children from birth through age 5. The law aims to address sobering data. California ranks 43rd in the country in fourth-grade math achievement. Only about 38% of public school students test at or above grade level when testing begins in third grade. And early scores are the start of a steady decline in standardized math assessments through high school. The bill passed the California Senate unanimously in May and is slated to be heard by the Assembly on Wednesday. Recent amendments to be considered include assessing a kindergartner’s math knowledge rather than screening for math deficiencies, something that would help identify students who need additional support. Parents would be notified of the results and schools would be required to report the results to the California Department of Education. Classroom assistant teacher Daniella Zelaya helps a student with their math at Laurel Street Elementary in Compton. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) The proposed law shares similar goals with California’s early literacy screening program — signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023 and rolled out this school year — which assesses kindergartners, first- and second-graders for reading difficulties. The math bill calls for the State Board of Education to establish criteria for selecting assessments and then the education department would develop a recommended list of tests that meet those standards for schools. Assessments would be required by the 2028-29 school year. Researchers say the assessments focus on what’s known as early number sense: a child’s ability to count sets of objects, and grasp basic addition and subtraction. In kindergarten, that means manipulating objects rather than written numerals. Beginning in kindergarten, children’s knowledge of numbers becomes more formal and symbol-based, according to Alice Klein, a developmental psychologist who studies early math screening and intervention. This means a child should be able to count a set of 10 or 15 tokens or blocks, recognize numerals up to 10 and match a set of objects with the correct numeral. In the Compton Unified School District, for example, educators show kindergartners a photo of 10 cows and ask students to count them. It looks simple, but if a child miscounts, counts one cow twice or skips one, it reveals they need to work on their number sense. “Early number sense is the single best predictor of academic success in elementary school,” Klein said. By first and second grade, problems become more symbolic, are presented verbally and use numerals. The bill proposes for around $106 million over four years after approval to cover the work of the expert panel, district preparation and teacher training before the 2028-29 test mandate would take effect. Some point out that there is no dedicated funding for what is most needed: Intervention plans for a child if the assessment reveals students aren’t on track. Los Angeles Unified school board member Nick Melvoin said he supports the spirit of early math identification, but has reservations about whether a statewide assessment mandate is the right mechanism. A student at Laurel Street Elementary works on a math activity. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) “When you’re a kindergartner, especially depending on where you went to preschool, or because kindergarten is not mandatory in California, you can come to first grade and never have had any formal math,” Melvoin said. L.A. Unified schools and teachers, at their discretion, already use math assessment tools. California Teacher Assn. President David Goldberg agrees that simply mandating a new test is not

California may soon test children on math as early as kindergarten in effort to curb dismal scores

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