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Five years after the COVID-19 lockdown, districtwide standardized test scores remain seven points below 2019 levels; economic disparities persist
Five years after the COVID-19 lockdown, districtwide standardized test scores remain seven points below 2019 levels; economic disparities persist
REDLANDS, Calif. — New data released last month show Redlands Unified students have yet to regain pre-pandemic achievement levels, despite steady instruction and targeted supports since statewide testing resumed in 2022.
Why it matters: The share of students meeting or exceeding state standards in English language arts (ELA) and math have regained some ground but remain below the 2019 scores, according to California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results released Oct. 9.
In ELA, 50.6 percent of students met or exceeded standards in 2025, compared with 57.4 percent in 2019 — a nearly seven-point decline overall. When in-person instruction and testing resumed in 2022, scores dropped sharply and have struggled to regain lost ground.
Math scores, overall lower than reading, have been similarly slow to rebound. Math proficiency fell nine points during the initial post-shutdown decline. In 2025, 38 percent of students met or exceeded standards, compared with 44 percent in 2019.
Flourish Chart: Percent of students meeting or exceeding standards, Redlands Unified 2019–2025
(Caption: Districtwide results remain below pre-pandemic levels. Source: CAASPP, California Department of Education.)
Results also show that gaps between economically disadvantaged (ED) and not economically disadvantaged (notED) students remain significant, especially in math.
Districtwide, notED students outperform their ED peers by double digits in both subjects, and that gap has widened since 2022.
In some schools, ED performance rose modestly in ELA, but the broader trend shows slower recovery among low-income students, reversing pre-pandemic progress in narrowing achievement gaps.
Flourish Chart: Comparison of ED vs. NotED students, Redlands Unified 2019–2025
(Caption: The performance gap widened after 2022, particularly in math. Source: CAASPP, California Department of Education.)
In a presentation to the school board on Nov. 4, Jean Joye, senior director of TK-12 Education, Elementary, pointed to improvements in other vulnerable student groups.
ELA scores among foster students were up 12 points from last school year.
"That’s been a targeted area we’ve been monitoring closely for the past two years,” Joye said. “So that was a huge celebration for us."
Math scores among homeless students also saw a slight increase of two points.
District administrators described the results as signs of gradual progress and emphasized that Redlands Unified continues to outperform both county and state averages.
Redlands Unified School District and 11 of its campuses were named to the 2025 California Honor Roll, recognizing schools that outperform peers and make progress closing achievement gaps.
The district's report also spotlighted double-digit gains in several elementary grades, including:
English language arts (ELA)
Math
Although Redlands Unified continues to perform above the state average in both English and math, its year-over-year progress has been slower than California overall.
According to the California Department of Education, statewide proficiency rose by 1.8 percentage points in both English language arts and math and 2.0 points in science.
The district reported a 0.8 percentage-point increase in science proficiency this year, with 33.7 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards.
Administrators noted this is only the second year of fully comparable CAST results and said the district is making steady progress as students adjust to the newer standards.
They added that Redlands Unified is outperforming both San Bernardino County and the state on the CAST across grades 5, 8, and 12—the grades tested under the state’s science assessment system.
Officials said science will appear as a new indicator on the upcoming California School Dashboard, to be released Nov. 13, which will also include chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, graduation rates, and college- and career-readiness metrics.
While administrators highlighted areas of growth, overall proficiency rates show little movement since 2023, a sign that full academic recovery from the pandemic remains elusive.
This analysis uses CAASPP “Percent Met or Exceeded” data in ELA and math for 2019 and 2022–2025, based on weighted district averages consistent with state reporting. Economic-status comparisons follow state definitions for economically disadvantaged and not economically disadvantaged student groups.
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