California unveils new literacy tools—While 1 in 4 adults still struggle to read

Sacramento, California – California Governor Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond have announced a new set of tools aimed at addressing a longstanding and deeply rooted crisis in the state’s education system: literacy.

Nearly one in three adults in California struggles with basic reading, according to the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. The state also consistently ranks near the bottom in national literacy assessments, with only 77% of adults reaching mid- to high-level proficiency. Among K-12 students, the picture is similarly grim. Recent statewide test scores from the 2023–24 academic year show that a majority of students in grades three through eight failed to meet reading standards. Only in 11th grade did more than half of students reach or exceed expectations.

Against this backdrop, the California Department of Education has released the California Literacy-Biliteracy Professional Learning Pack, described as a “comprehensive suite of resources” designed to strengthen literacy instruction, particularly in early education. The initiative includes two significant guidance documents: one for transitional kindergarten through fifth grade, and another focused on preschool through third grade.

The first document, the Literacy Content Blocks for English-Medium Classrooms, provides a sequenced approach to reading instruction—emphasizing initial instruction, intervention, and application. The second, Preschool Through Third Grade Learning Progressions, outlines developmental milestones and includes examples of play- and inquiry-based literacy education in both English and students’ home languages.

Endorsed by a coalition of education groups including The Reading League, the California Association for Bilingual Education, and Californians Together, the resources are part of a broader strategy to equip educators with evidence-based tools and to boost biliteracy in a state where people speak more than 200 languages.

“In California, we know that learning to read is the start of the pathway to success,” Governor Newsom said in a statement. “The Literacy Roadmap highlights our multifaceted approach to improving literacy… we are doubling down on our commitment to ensure no student falls behind.”

Thurmond added, “With this release, California takes a significant step forward in providing educators with the tools they need to foster strong literacy and biliteracy development from the earliest years of learning.”

But the plan is not without criticism. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher dismissed the initiative as “classic Newsom,” arguing that it masks ongoing failure with educational jargon. “There’s no mention of the state’s collapsing test scores. No push for real phonics-based instruction,” Gallagher said in a statement.

Experts say California’s literacy problem cannot be divorced from its complex social fabric. Decades of underinvestment in schools, policy disputes over bilingual education, and vast economic inequality have created systemic barriers. “We’ve been underspending the entire time,” said Niu Gao, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California.

California spends roughly 13% less per student than the national average, despite running a state budget surplus. And while funding matters, Gao notes, schools cannot single-handedly overcome the structural challenges of poverty, language access, and gaps in parental education.