California reading scores are up, thanks to literacy investments. Can the state do more?

The following year California released a new English language arts framework that encourages schools to focus on phonics, vocabulary and other nuts-and-bolts methods when teaching children to read. Phonics-based instruction won't become mandatory until next year, but most schools have been gradually adopting the method.

Next came new curriculum materials, a dyslexia screener and updates to teacher credential programs. The state also expanded transitional kindergarten and implemented new guidelines for English learners.

But perhaps the biggest literacy investment came in 2023 with $500 million in grants set aside for schools to hire literacy coaches and take other steps to boost reading skills. The coaches — typically, former classroom teachers with extra training in reading — work directly with teachers to help them effectively teach children to read. Last year the state added $215 million, and the most recent budget includes an additional $350 million for literacy coaches.

Mississippi, whose reading scores went from 49th in the country in 2013 to 9th in 2024, partially credits the turnaround to literacy coaches and other teacher training tactics. Mississippi's reading framework is similar to California's, but Mississippi invested heavily in training teachers to implement it, while California rolled out its training program over several years.

Reading scores inch up

California's reading scores have improved gradually — but significantly — since 2013. Last year, California ranked around the middle of the pack nationwide, with 13 states scoring higher and the rest scoring the same or lower. This happened at the same time that national scores began falling.

On statewide tests, the number of fourth graders reading at grade level jumped from 40% in 2014 to 46% last year. Before the pandemic, the percentage was close to 50%, dropped a few points when schools switched to remote learning, but has been inching back up since then.

Fourth grade is a key benchmark for literacy because by fifth grade, students need reading skills sufficient to understand other subjects such as history and science. Students who aren't proficient readers by fourth grade are more likely to lag academically in other subjects. Studies have found that adults with low literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed, incarcerated or face other challenges.

Sarah Novicoff, a researcher at the Public Policy Institute of California, conducted a study that found that California's literacy investments have paid off — with a caveat.

"They've absolutely had a positive impact," Novicoff said. "But we have an opportunity to do an even better job."

Novicoff found that nearly 60% of school districts used their grant money to hire literacy coaches to work with teachers, reading specialists to work directly with students, or otherwise arranged for teacher training related to literacy.

School districts that made those investments saw significant improvements in reading scores, including among English learners, she found. Results varied by district, but in general students scored 6 points higher on state tests within two years of the investments, she found. She expects the scores to rise further over time.

Some districts struggle to hire literacy coaches

But plenty of school districts hired no literacy coaches. Not because they didn't want to, but because there were none to hire. In fact, 42% of districts said they had trouble hiring coaches.

"I'd love to hire a literacy coach," said Patricia Gunderson, superintendent of the Lassen County Office of Education. "It's great the state is offering the money, but we just can't do it. We don't have the capacity."

In remote and rural parts of the state, finding literacy coaches has proved to be nearly impossible — and has hindered improvement, Novicoff found. For example, Lassen County, along the northern Nevada border, can barely find enough credentialed teachers, let alone education professionals with advanced specialty degrees. And even if schools could hire literacy coaches, they couldn't find enough substitutes to fill in for teachers undergoing training.

But Lassen has been creative in finding ways to boost literacy. In 2023, for example, it held a weeklong summer training course for teachers, where teachers were paid to learn the new curriculum and the course didn't interrupt the school year. Gunderson said it was a big success; state reading test scores jumped more than 7 percentage points, although still lag behind the state average.

In Siskiyou County, along the Oregon border, county superintendent Allan Carver said he welcomes the state's investment in literacy coaches, but it's created another problem: Teachers are opting to become literacy coaches, possibly because it's less stressful or pays a bit more, leaving vacancies in the classroom.

"We work to solve one issue and further exacerbate the teacher shortage," Carver said. "We have to develop the literacy coach pipeline before we simply allocate funds and expectations for training."

In Baldwin Park, in the San Gabriel Valley, principal Laura Rodriguez said literacy coaches have been instrumental in turning around her school's reading scores. Using state grant money, Tracy Elementary has added a literacy coach who works closely with the school's teachers, aides and reading specialist.

The literacy coach, Claudia Barba, holds workshops for teachers and parents, trains the aides, assesses the students, analyzes data, and gives feedback to teachers. She's also devised a literacy plan that looks closely at the causes for the low scores and specifically addresses the reasons.

"She is amazing," Rodriguez said. "I've seen such a difference since we started this. It has changed our campus."

Tracy Elementary, a Spanish-English dual immersion school, is mostly low-income. More than 30% of students are English learners. The literacy plan teaches children to read in Spanish first, then English, by focusing on vocabulary and phonics in both languages. By third grade, when the state first tests students' reading skills, students are fairly fluent readers in both languages.

In just two years, after hiring the literacy coach, Tracy's reading scores jumped more than 10 percentage points. Even English learners saw their scores significantly increase. Other metrics also improved: Chronic absenteeism dropped from 44% just after the pandemic to 11% last year. Math scores are increasing, too.

"Literacy is the key to everything. If a child can read, they can access knowledge. They start to enjoy school," Rodriguez said. "They can get a better education."

This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.