Fresno Unified School District students have exceeded the district's pre-pandemic English scores for the first time, according to California state test results released on Thursday, Oct. 22, and reported by EdSource and Fresnoland.

Source: EdSource

Nearly 40% of Fresno Unified's 67,000 students — the state's third-largest district — met or exceeded state standards in English language arts, above the 38.3% recorded in 2019 and the highest proficiency rate under the testing system that began in 2015. In math, 29.5% scored proficient or above, less than half a percentage point away from exceeding 2019 levels.

~40%Fresno Unified English proficiency
38.3%Fresno Unified English proficiency in 2019
29.5%Fresno Unified math proficiency
67,000students in Fresno Unified

County and neighbouring districts

Across Fresno County's 30-plus districts, more than 48% of students met or exceeded English standards and 36% met math standards — gains of 1.75 and 2 percentage points respectively, EdSource reported. Clovis Unified reached almost 69% in English and 55% in math, Central Unified held at 44% in English with math rising to nearly 31%, and Sanger Unified rose to 55% in English and nearly 44% in math.

Source: Fresnoland

In western Fresno County, Golden Plains Unified improved its math proficiency by 6 percentage points in the last year while its English proficiency remained at 26%, Fresnoland reported. Superintendent Felipe Piedra credited parent involvement and staff teaching with rigour for the district's progress.

District leaders stressed that most students still do not meet state standards. "The sentiment is: 'We still have a long way to go,'" Fresno Unified chief academic officer Carlos Castillo told Fresnoland, in comments carried by EdSource. The district said it ranks 8th in English and 4th in math against 27 demographically comparable California districts — a ranking the district itself reported in its news release.