States’ efforts to improve math instruction passed a significant milestone after California enacted a law that will require schools in the nation’s most populous state to annually assess kindergarten through 2nd grade students for math learning difficulties and to address their needs with added supports.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed the bill into law Sept. 28, making his state the latest—and the largest—to pass state-level math reforms.
Twenty-two other states have passed laws or implemented new policies related to math education since 2022, according to an Education Week tracker. Fourteen states, including California, require schools to assess students for early math difficulties and meet identified needs with interventions like tutoring.
Because math concepts build on each other sequentially, students who struggle with early concepts like number sense risk developing snowballing problems with math that can persist into middle and high school, affecting their understanding of more complex concepts like fractions, their readiness for algebra, and their ability to take advanced courses needed for many STEM careers.
“Too often, we wait until a child is already struggling before we step in to help,” state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, said in a statement. She called the new requirements an “important tool” to ensure every child has the “opportunity to build a strong foundation in math.”
Detecting gaps in math understanding early
California’s new law will require schools to begin annual screening assessments by the 2028-29 school year, providing targeted supports like tutoring to help students catch up on missed concepts, and notifying parents’ of their children’s results.
The state’s education board will create an approved list of evidence-based diagnostic assessments that are “culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate.” If districts opt to use another instrument, they must self-certify that it meets state-approved criteria.
Because of California’s size, its efforts could benefit other states, said Lindsey Henderson, the senior policy director for math at ExcelinEd, an organization that advocates for math education reforms. As the state establishes criteria for assessments, education companies will likely develop products to meet the demand, she said.
“You need partners and vendors to follow through to help you to realize those policy outcomes,” Henderson said. “If a big state makes an investment in diagnostic tools ... other states can benefit from those products as well.”
Florida and Texas—two other large states education vendors often cater to—have also passed math policies in recent years, Education Week’s tracker shows.
California has a history of complicated debates over approaches to teaching math, ensuring equity, and sequencing courses.
In 2023, the state board adopted a controversial math teaching framework that promotes a focus on problem-solving and applying math knowledge to real-world situations. The nonbinding guidance encourages teachers to make lessons culturally relevant and recommends offering algebra in 8th grade for students who are ready for acceleration.
Thirty-five percent of the state’s 4th grade students and 25% of 8th graders scored at or above proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2024, compared to 39% and 27% nationwide, though the proficient standards on that test, known as the nation’s report card, are generally considered higher than on state-level exams.
Implementation can make or break state math reforms
Whether the new early screening law will significantly move the needle on math outcomes will depend on how well it is implemented, Henderson said. States that have passed similar efforts to align literacy instruction to the “science of reading” have faced hurdles with identifying materials, training teachers, and developing meaningful personalized plans to address students’ needs.
“I always say policy is step zero,” Henderson said. “Implementation matters. There’s a lot of trickle down that needs to happen” to see meaningful changes in schools.
The screeners could provide an important resource for early elementary teachers, who don’t have state testing results for their students before 3rd grade. But elementary school teachers, who are typically generalists, often have higher levels of anxiety about teaching math than secondary school teachers and feel less equipped to meet students’ needs, researchers have found.
California’s new law doesn’t mandate many elements ExcelinEd recommends, like required teacher professional development, state-approved intervention materials, changes to teacher-preparation requirements, or at-home plans for families to help their children succeed in math, Henderson said.
Alabama, which passed a comprehensive math bill in 2023, is the only state where 4th graders’ test scores in the subject surpassed its pre-pandemic levels in 2025.
The California bill faced opposition from major education groups, including the California Teachers Association, the state’s teachers’ union; and groups representing school administrators and superintendents. As the legislature considered the bill, the groups said in a letter that the policy would not be effective because it does not include additional resources to support identified students.
“Absent dedicated resources and supports, mandated assessments risk a shift toward compliance rather than improved student outcomes,” the letter said. “In the early grades, frequent assessments without clear instructional follow‐through can also contribute to student anxiety, fatigue, and negative self-perception.”
In response, lawmakers adopted an amendment to the bill encouraging districts “to leverage existing state investments,” including approved funding for multi-tiered systems of support and math coaching.
“It’s exciting to see a big state take on such an evidence-based policy,” Henderson said. “Now it’s all implementation and making sure everybody gets the right message.”
