A state law taking effect in 2026 is aimed at addressing literacy in students. AB 1454 requires the state education board to adopt instructional materials for grades kindergarten through eight in English language arts and development. It would require the board to update guidance for state-mandated local programs. The subject areas would continue to be the same ones outlined in previous laws, including spelling and reading. Most recent school year literacy ratesBased on test scores in the 2024-2025 school year, Monterey County recorded that 62.79% of students did not meet literacy standards. That is according to the Education Data Partnership. 37.21% of students met the required literacy level, with 13.23% of students exceeding their grade level. The county’s passage rate did increase from the 2023-2024 school year, up from 36.27%.In Santa Cruz County, test scores from the same year show 56.3% of students did not meet the literacy standard. The county says 43.7% of students met the standard, 18.69% of them exceeding grade levels. That is a slight increase from the previous school year’s passing rate of 42.06%. That is also according to the Education Data Partnership.San Benito County’s 2024-2025 test scores show 42.83% of students met the standard, with 15.73% exceeding it. The Education Data Partnership’s data says that leaves 57.17% of students below the standard. California’s overall rate of students below basic reading level in 2024 was 44%. In the same year, 28% of students were at a basic reading level, with 21% at a proficient level. The state has the lowest adult literacy rate in the nation, sitting at 76.9%. Adult literacy rate refers to people 15 and older who are able to both read and write. Comparatively, the state with the highest adult literacy rate is New Hampshire, sitting at 94.2%.Nationwide, literacy rates in fourth and eighth grade students for 2024 were lower than what they were in 2022, and 12th grade literacy rates are lower compared to 2019’s rates. That is according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which gives an assessment every two years to students in fourth and eighth grade, and every four years to 12th-grade students. Five year comparison by county Over a four-year span, students in Monterey County have had a stable rate between 62% and just under 65% for not meeting test score requirements in language arts and literacy. The lowest rate of literacy issues was during the 2020-2021 school year with 44.91% of students not meeting the standard.Students in Santa Cruz County had the lowest rate of literacy issues in the 2020-2021 school year as well, with just 33.21% of students not passing those tests in the language arts and literacy categories. It reached the highest rate in the past five years during the 2023-2024 school year at 57.95% of students not reaching that grade level expectation. San Benito County students saw the lowest rate of missing that standard in the most recent school year. In the 2024-2025 school year, 57.17% of students did not meet the standard, down from the highest rate in the past five years which was during the 2020-2021 school year. That year saw 63.21% of students in the county stay below the standard scores.
SALINAS, Calif. —
A state law taking effect in 2026 is aimed at addressing literacy in students.
AB 1454 requires the state education board to adopt instructional materials for grades kindergarten through eight in English language arts and development. It would require the board to update guidance for state-mandated local programs. The subject areas would continue to be the same ones outlined in previous laws, including spelling and reading.
Most recent school year literacy rates
Based on test scores in the 2024-2025 school year, Monterey County recorded that 62.79% of students did not meet literacy standards. That is according to the Education Data Partnership. 37.21% of students met the required literacy level, with 13.23% of students exceeding their grade level. The county’s passage rate did increase from the 2023-2024 school year, up from 36.27%.
In Santa Cruz County, test scores from the same year show 56.3% of students did not meet the literacy standard. The county says 43.7% of students met the standard, 18.69% of them exceeding grade levels. That is a slight increase from the previous school year’s passing rate of 42.06%. That is also according to the Education Data Partnership.
San Benito County’s 2024-2025 test scores show 42.83% of students met the standard, with 15.73% exceeding it. The Education Data Partnership’s data says that leaves 57.17% of students below the standard.
California’s overall rate of students below basic reading level in 2024 was 44%. In the same year, 28% of students were at a basic reading level, with 21% at a proficient level.
The state has the lowest adult literacy rate in the nation, sitting at 76.9%. Adult literacy rate refers to people 15 and older who are able to both read and write. Comparatively, the state with the highest adult literacy rate is New Hampshire, sitting at 94.2%.
Nationwide, literacy rates in fourth and eighth grade students for 2024 were lower than what they were in 2022, and 12th grade literacy rates are lower compared to 2019’s rates. That is according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which gives an assessment every two years to students in fourth and eighth grade, and every four years to 12th-grade students.
Five year comparison by county
Alicia Alvarez
Rates of students who did not meet literacy level in Monterey County by school year
Over a four-year span, students in Monterey County have had a stable rate between 62% and just under 65% for not meeting test score requirements in language arts and literacy. The lowest rate of literacy issues was during the 2020-2021 school year with 44.91% of students not meeting the standard.
Alicia Alvarez
Rate of students in Santa Cruz county who did not meet literacy levels by school year
Students in Santa Cruz County had the lowest rate of literacy issues in the 2020-2021 school year as well, with just 33.21% of students not passing those tests in the language arts and literacy categories. It reached the highest rate in the past five years during the 2023-2024 school year at 57.95% of students not reaching that grade level expectation.
Alicia Alvarez
Rate of San Benito County students who did not meet literacy levels by school year
San Benito County students saw the lowest rate of missing that standard in the most recent school year. In the 2024-2025 school year, 57.17% of students did not meet the standard, down from the highest rate in the past five years which was during the 2020-2021 school year. That year saw 63.21% of students in the county stay below the standard scores.