Your editorial “A Math Horror Show at UCSD” (Nov. 25) notes the worrying decline in math readiness among students at one of California’s top universities. Yet rather than attribute the recent five-year drop only to the pandemic, you point to the state’s decision in 2013 to stop requiring algebra for all eighth-graders. That betrays the evidence.

Data show that California’s math achievement rose on both state and national tests every year between 2013 and 2019. National tests also affirm that the pandemic had a strong negative effect on performance across the country. Although California lost less ground than many states, our schools and families were still disrupted, requiring the state to focus on learning-recovery efforts. Our data show that this work is paying off: Math scores for California’s students are again on the rise, with gains in 2024 and 2025, including returns to pre-pandemic levels in many of our major cities.

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