State Superintendent Thurmond Celebrates Increased Student Achievement at Los Angeles Unified

MAYWOOD, CA—State Superintendent Tony Thurmond joined Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, LAUSD Board President Scott Schmerelson, LAUSD Board of Education members, educators, and staff at a special press event today to celebrate the district’s impressive gains in math and literacy assessment scores following the release of statewide assessment results this week.

The latest statewide assessment results show LAUSD students reached record-high proficiency levels, up 3.4 points in English Language Arts, 3.9 in math, and 3.3 in science, surpassing both last year’s results and prepandemic performance. LAUSD’s progress comes after significant investments in K–12 public education championed and secured by Superintendent Thurmond, which have accelerated learning through $7.9 billion for the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant. He also secured an additional $215 million to expand the existing Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Grant Program in the 2025 state budget, as well as $200 million to support professional learning for elementary school educators.

“I congratulate the students, educators, and staff of Los Angeles Unified for their hard work to achieve these results. I am grateful for the historic statewide investments we've made in programs like Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists and Expanded Learning, which have proved to be game-changing resources to move the needle on student outcomes, along with other investments in prekindergarten, community schools, professional development for educators, and universal meals,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “I’m proud to have led a reinvestment in public education across the state. In my second term, we have nearly tripled per-pupil funding in the State of California, because we recognize that skills like reading, writing, and doing math have the power to transform lives. I know this all too well as someone whose life was transformed by a high-quality public education.”

As part of Superintendent Thurmond’s Move the Needle Initiative, launched in 2024, which is aimed at maximizing the use of state-level investments in public education to further accelerate student progress, during today’s event LAUSD leaders shared strategies that have driven local growth in student achievement and offer practical insights that other districts can adapt to scale this success statewide.

Superintendent Carvalho credits this historic achievement to the hard work of educators, staff, and students, supported by targeted investments in early literacy, math intervention, and expanded science opportunities designed to accelerate learning and close gaps created by the pandemic. The district leveraged a combination of funding sources, including general funds, federal funds such as Titles I, II, III, and IV, and targeted state grants, including the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program and the Literacy Coach and Reading Specialist Grant.

“We are proud to stand alongside State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and recognize the incredible achievement across California and Los Angeles Unified in ELA, math, and science,” said Superintendent Carvalho. “Our students are making tremendous strides across every grade and in every demographic. There is more work to do, but this represents a watershed moment in closing the achievement gap and erasing the pandemic learning loss.”

A recording of today’s press conference can be viewed on the LAUSD Facebook page .

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