State Superintendent Thurmond Celebrates Multi-Year Growth in Student Achievement at San Diego Unified; Highlights Opportunities to Scale Success Statewide

SAN DIEGO—State Superintendent Tony Thurmond co-hosted a special press event today with Dr. Fabi Bagula, Superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), to highlight the district’s marked gains in math and literacy achievement. As part of Superintendent Thurmond’s Move the Needle Initiative, launched in 2024 to leverage state funds and maximize the use of proven strategies to accelerate student progress, SDUSD leaders, educators, and school staff shared how they have driven student success and offered practical insights that other districts can learn from and adapt.

“I commend SDUSD for their hard work and progress in achieving improved student outcomes,” Superintendent Thurmond said. “I am proud that our commitment to improve math and literacy proficiency in California schools and our state’s historic investments toward that end are resulting in steady progress for our students’ achievement.”

Due to this increased support, SDUSD now ranks #1 in the nation among large urban districts in both 4th and 8th grade literacy and is tied for #1 in 8th grade math, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

“Our district continues to build on a strong, upward trajectory in student achievement across all grade levels,” said Superintendent Bagula. "We have developed dashboards that display each student’s Distance from Standard alongside local assessment results, giving our educators a clear view of growth across fall, winter, and spring. This data helps us identify students who may need extra support to reach grade-level standards, as well as those performing at or above grade level who may benefit from additional enrichment.”

Under Superintendent Thurmond’s leadership, California has nearly tripled per-pupil spending through significant investments in K–12 public education. This has included funds to accelerate learning and prioritize equity, including $7.9 billion for the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant. The Legislature and Governor Newsom have made significant multi-year investments in public education through the state budget, including $129.2 billion in total K–12 education funding in 2023, as well as $215 million in 2025 to expand the existing Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Grant Program and $200 million, also in 2025, to support professional learning for elementary school educators.

Additional funds from the 2025–26 state budget will significantly expand extended learning programs, boosting participation by doubling the minimum grant award from $50,000 to $100,000—a much-needed change for rural and smaller school districts. These investments align with Superintendent Thurmond’s Transforming Schools initiatives, as well as his strategy to move the needle on student achievement.

Today’s highlight of SDUSD’s progress comes in advance of the anticipated release of math and literacy assessment scores next week. A recording of the press conference can be viewed on the California Department of Education Facebook page .

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100