2026 OCAP State of the Child Report

THIRD GRADE MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT GAPS PERSIST AMONG ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN DESPITE GAINS DESCRIPTION OF INDICATOR This indicator presents California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results for third-grade mathematics. The measure reflects the percentage of students who exceeded grade level standards (Level 3 and level 4) and includes students who nearly met standards or did not meet standards. CAASPP assesses academic performance aligned with California’s Common Core State Standards.

Why is this indicator important?

Findings 1 • From 2014-2015 to 2024-2025, the share of third grade students meeting or exceeding Math standards increased from 35% to 39.6%, representing a 4.6% gain over the 10-year period. • In 2024-2025, results showed a 25.5 point gap, with 33% of economically disadvantaged students meeting or exceeding mathematics standards, compared to 58.8% of their peers who were not economically disadvantaged. • Continued monitoring of subgroup performance and targeted academic supports remain important to sustain gains and reduce disparities in mathematics achievement.

Early mathematics proficiency is foundational for later academic success. Third grade math performance reflects students’ ability to apply conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills that support future coursework in upper grades.

1 California Department of Education. (2025). CAASPP Smarter Balanced results, grade 3 mathematics: All students, district and county data, 2014–15 and 2024–25. DataQuest. https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/

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