California teachers' pay is up while test scores are down

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(The Center Square) - A report released by WalletHub this week revealed the best and worst states for teachers. California ranked No. 10 amid below-average test scores and a decline in student enrollment.  

Looking at the teacher-friendliest states in America, WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia on teacher compensation, tenure, state spending per student, student-teacher ratio and school-system quality, among other factors.

According to the report, California ranked No. 10 for friendliest state to teachers. Among the 50 states, California maintains the highest average starting teacher salary at $58,409. The average salary for teachers in California is $101,084.

California K-12 schools spend $18,020 per pupil for a total of $106.9 billion annually.

At the same time, U.S. News & World Report ranked California 37th in Pre-K-12 education because of high school graduation rates, college readiness, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading and math scores.

In 2024, California's fourth and eighth-grade math performance on the NAEP was below the national average, with 35% of fourth-graders and 25% of eighth-graders proficient in math, respectively. 

The average score of fourth-grade students in California was 233 in 2024. The national average score is 237 out of 500.

In California, the average American College Testing score is 26.5. The highest possible score on the ACT is 36.

In July, Los Angeles schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced the record-breaking academic performance amid enrollment decline shown by the Smarter Balanced Assessment.

 “This year, Los Angeles Unified (School District) achieved its highest-ever academic performance in the history of the Smarter Balanced Assessment,” Carvalho said.

Overall, 46.5% of students met grade-level standards in English Language in tests conducted back in April and May. In the subject of math, the number was 36.7%. 

LAUSD student enrollment has significantly decreased in the past two decades, from 747,009 in 2003-04 to 387,152 students this year.

The Center Square reported on the rest of WalletHub's findings that shows the best states for teachers in 2025 are Virginia, Utah, Washington, New York and Illinois. 

The worst states for teachers in 2025 are South Dakota, New Hampshire, Maine, Montana and Hawaii, according to WalletHub.

The U.S. Department of Education announced this week that the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that nationwide test scores are at an all-time low. 

“American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12 … nearly half of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said. “Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before.”