Overview

California has not established a dependable method to evaluate whether students are achieving the state's standards in history and social studies. Despite claims of improved academic performance across various subjects, the lack of assessment in history leaves a significant gap in understanding student proficiency in this area.

Governor Gavin Newsom's remarks in January 2026 highlighted advancements in test scores for various demographics, yet these claims do not encompass history education, which has been unmeasured for the past decade. The absence of reliable data raises concerns about the educational outcomes for students in this critical subject.

Key details

  • California lacks a reliable assessment for history and social studies education.
  • Governor Newsom claimed improved academic achievement across all subjects in January 2026.
  • His statement only pertains to subjects that are currently measured.
  • Recent gains in measured subjects remain below pre-COVID levels.
  • Funding for education has increased since 2020, yet history assessments are still absent.
  • The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides limited national data on U.S. History proficiency.
  • NAEP data indicates a decline in student proficiency from 2014 to 2022.
  • Only 8,000 eighth-grade students nationwide participated in the most recent NAEP assessment.
  • California's history content standards have not been updated since 1998.
  • In 2013, California eliminated standardized testing for history and social studies.
  • The previous assessment program, STAR testing, was replaced by the CAASPP system.
  • Without reliable data, it is unclear how many students meet state history standards.

Context

The absence of a systematic evaluation for history and social studies in California's education system raises critical questions about students' understanding of these subjects. The state’s content standards outline what students should learn, yet the lack of assessments means that many may not be meeting these expectations.

What happens next

Without an established method for assessing history education, it remains uncertain how California will address the gaps in student learning and proficiency in this subject area. The state may need to reconsider its approach to educational assessments to ensure that history and social studies are adequately evaluated.

What we don't know yet

It is unclear how California students are performing in history compared to the rest of the country, the specific percentage of students meeting state history standards, and whether there have been declines in proficiency similar to national trends.