Los Angeles Unified School District reports growth in literacy and math through equity funding and classroom reforms

Two years after one of the most difficult periods in public education, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest in the United States, has recorded its highest-ever performance on California’s statewide tests, according to The 74 . The improvement has been broad-based, cutting across grade levels and subjects, and is particularly significant because it includes some of the district’s most disadvantaged and historically low-performing schools. At 135th Elementary School, part of LAUSD, the transformation is both visible and measurable. Chronic absenteeism has declined from 17% in 2024 to 13% in 2025, while the share of students meeting state standards in English language arts has climbed from 25% to 37% in just two years. Math proficiency has also risen, from 2