# US K-12 academic performance trends

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-k-12-academic-performance-trends
> Updated: 2026-10-15T12:00:00.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

Recent reports from Hawaiʻi and California indicate varying levels of academic progress in public K-12 education following pandemic-era disruptions.

In Hawaiʻi, the Department of Education reported that statewide math proficiency rose to 42.5%, marking four consecutive years of growth, alongside improvements in regular attendance. While some individual schools, such as Lokelani Intermediate and Kulia Academy, showed significant gains, language arts proficiency saw a slight decline to 53.2%. Officials noted that academic progress must accelerate to meet 2029 targets.

In California, state assessments showed modest improvements in math (38.5%), English language arts (49.3%), and science (36%). Although officials noted a slowing pace of improvement, the state reached a 10-year high in graduation rates and saw a decline in chronic absenteeism to 18%. However, California also experienced a decline in statewide school enrollment, which fell to 5.7 million students.

## Claims

- California K-12 student test scores improved slightly across almost all categories last year. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Chronic absenteeism dropped to 18% last year. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Math proficiency rose to 38.5%, an increase of just over 1 percentage point. (single source)
- English language arts proficiency rose by half a percentage point to 49.3%. (single source)
- Science scores increased by 3.3 percentage points to 36%. (single source)
- California's graduation rate has reached a 10-year high. (single source)
- Statewide school enrollment fell to 5.7 million, a decrease of 74,000 students from the previous year. (single source)
- Golden Plains Unified students saw a 6% increase in math proficiency over the last year. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-15: California K-12 test scores show modest gains in math and English

California K-12 test scores in math, English, and science showed slight improvements, alongside record graduation rates and declining chronic absenteeism, despite a drop in statewide enrollment.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/california-k-12-test-scores-show-modest-gains-in-math-and-english

### 2026-10-09: Hawaiʻi public schools show math and attendance gains

Hawaiʻi public school students showed improvements in math proficiency and attendance during the 2025-26 school year, though statewide language arts proficiency experienced a slight decline.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hawaii-public-schools-show-math-and-attendance-gains

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Cite as: US K-12 academic performance trends. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-k-12-academic-performance-trends