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Quick look: Newly released data show Orange County students continuing to outperform statewide averages in English language arts, mathematics and science, with notable gains in math and science. The results also point to persistent achievement gaps among some student groups and areas where continued support is needed.<\/p>\n
Orange County students continued to outperform statewide averages in English, mathematics and science in 2025-26 while posting encouraging gains in math and science, according to data released Thursday<\/a> by the California Department of Education.<\/p>\n About 59 percent of local students scored at the proficient or advanced levels in English language arts, compared with 49 percent statewide. In mathematics, just over 50 percent of the county\u2019s test-takers reached those levels, compared with about 38 percent across California.\u00a0<\/p>\n About 46 percent of local students scored proficient or advanced in science, compared with 36 percent statewide.<\/p>\n To see how your school or district performed, visit www.caschooldashboard.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n For the first time, California shared several major sets of education data at the same time. The release included results from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP, which measures student performance in English language arts, mathematics and science, and the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, or ELPAC, which focuses on English language development.<\/p>\n The state on Thursday also published an updated California School Dashboard<\/a> \u2014 the website uses color-coded gauges to display performance \u2014\u00a0along with reports through DataQuest<\/a>, bringing together information on graduation, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, college and career readiness and other measures. Taken together, this batch of data offers families, educators and communities a broad picture of how students and schools are doing.<\/p>\n \u201cThese results give us good reason to be encouraged, particularly the progress we\u2019re seeing in math and science and the strong performance of Orange County students compared with statewide averages,\u201d County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean said. \u201cAt the same time, the data remind us that averages never tell every student\u2019s story. Our focus is on working alongside districts and schools to build on what\u2019s working and strengthen support for every student where they need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n Statewide, the four-year graduation rate reached 87.9 percent, its highest level in a decade, while chronic absenteeism declined to 18.3 percent and the suspension rate fell to 2.8 percent. Orange County compared favorably across all three measures, with a four-year graduation rate of 94.1 percent, a chronic absenteeism rate of 13.6 percent and a suspension rate of 1.6 percent.<\/p>\n At the same time, those countywide averages reflect very different experiences across student groups. For example, foster youth and students with disabilities made notable gains in graduation rates, while foster youth continued to experience higher rates of chronic absenteeism and suspension.<\/p>\n Strong gains in math, science<\/p>\n On the assessment front, mathematics represented one of Orange County\u2019s clearest areas of progress. The percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced increased from 49.2 percent in 2025 to 50.2 percent in 2026, putting the county just shy of its pre-pandemic level of 50.4 percent in 2019.<\/p>\n Science showed the largest year-over-year gain. About 46 percent of local students who were tested in the spring scored proficient or advanced, an increase of three percentage points from 2025. That rate is also six percentage points higher than the county\u2019s pre-pandemic mark.<\/p>\n Those gains generally mirrored statewide trends. Across California, the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced increased by 0.5 percentage points in English language arts, 1.1 points in mathematics and 3.3 points in science.<\/p>\n Orange County\u2019s English language arts performance, meanwhile, remained largely steady. About 59.2 percent of students scored proficient or advanced, up slightly from the previous year but still just below the 59.7 percent recorded in 2019.<\/p>\n Some regional comparisons were also notable. Orange County students performed at least six percentage points higher in English language arts than students in seven other Southern California counties overall and across every elementary and middle school grade included in the comparison.\u00a0<\/p>\n In math, Orange County\u2019s overall proficiency rate was 8 percentage points higher than the next-highest county.<\/p>\n Progress not evenly shared<\/p>\n Countywide numbers also show where more work remains.\u00a0Students experiencing homelessness improved in both English language arts and math, while foster youth posted gains in English language arts. But substantial differences remain between overall county performance and results for several student groups.<\/p>\n Long-term English learners, or LTELs, showed some of the widest gaps in achievement, with just 5 percent scoring proficient or advanced in English language arts and 4 percent meeting that standard in mathematics. English learners and students with disabilities also posted proficiency rates below the countywide averages.<\/p>\n Again, similar challenges are facing schools and districts statewide. Under California\u2019s accountability system, students with disabilities, long-term English learners and English learners were among the student groups most frequently associated with districts qualifying for additional support. (More on that in a minute.)<\/p>\n The California School Dashboard also shows that student outcomes can vary widely across groups, reinforcing the need to look beyond overall averages and consider test scores alongside classroom work, grades, teacher observations and other measures of learning.<\/p>\n English language development<\/p>\n Even as the CAASPP results highlighted continuing academic gaps, local results from the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, or ELPAC, showed signs of progress in English language development.<\/p>\n The percentage of English learners whose overall English language skills were rated \u201cmoderately or well developed\u201d rose from 52 percent to 54 percent in 2026. <\/p>\n Oral language continued to be the strongest category, with 70 percent of students rated moderately or well developed. Students in grades four and five posted the strongest oral language results.<\/p>\n Written language remains an area for continued attention. About one-third of Orange County English learners were rated moderately or well developed in that area, and fewer than one-quarter of students in grades nine, 11 and 12 reached those levels.<\/p>\n Statewide, ELPAC performance remained relatively stable. But the percentage of students at the beginning stage of developing English skills declined.<\/p>\n Turning data into action<\/p>\n While California sets statewide standards and accountability measures, decisions about instruction and student supports are made locally.<\/p>\n OCDE works with Orange County\u2019s 28 school districts and charter schools to help educators understand performance data, identify areas of need and strengthen local strategies. That support can include professional learning, instructional and literacy resources, data analysis, and assistance focused on English learners and other student groups.<\/p>\n![\"Students](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shutterstock_2337136275-2560x1667.jpg\")
Newly released data from the state shows Orange County students outpacing statewide averages in English language arts, mathematics and science.<\/p>\n