California students are still lagging compared to pre-pandemic levels despite a full year of in-person instruction in the 2021-22 school year, according to state tests given in the spring of 2023.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, the California Department of Education, and partners today unveiled plans to drive improvements in statewide student performance at a press conference.
Assembly Bill 714, recently signed into law, requires the California Department of Education to report the number of newcomer students and offer best practices for teaching them.
English learners need foundational skills like phonics and vocabulary in addition to instruction in speaking and understanding English and connections to their home languages.
The statement aims to push policymakers to consider English learners’ needs and dispel the idea that English learners do not need to be taught phonics.