2026 data report

Reading proficiency (% met/exceeded) in California public schools

Statewide trends and county leaderboards for reading proficiency (% met/exceeded), sourced directly from CDE SARC. Higher is better.

From CDE SARC, cycles 22-23, 23-24, 24-25. Last refreshed 2026-05-15.

Statewide trend

Median (plum line) and p25–p75 band (mist), all California public schools per cycle.

Best 25 counties — Reading proficiency (% met/exceeded)

  1. 1Marin63.0
  2. 2Placer59.0
  3. 3San Mateo58.0
  4. 4Santa Clara57.5
  5. 5Orange57.0
  6. 6Mono55.0
  7. 7Trinity50.0
  8. 8Nevada49.0
  9. 9San Luis Obispo49.0
  10. 10San Diego47.0
  11. 11San Francisco47.0
  12. 12Santa Cruz46.0
  13. 13Sonoma44.0
  14. 14Ventura44.0
  15. 15Shasta43.0
  16. 16Yolo43.0
  17. 17Los Angeles42.0
  18. 18Napa42.0
  19. 19Humboldt41.0
  20. 20Santa Barbara41.0
  21. 21Plumas40.0
  22. 22Tuolumne39.0
  23. 23Inyo38.0
  24. 24Kings38.0
  25. 25Siskiyou38.0

Worst 25 counties — Reading proficiency (% met/exceeded)

  1. 1Lake20.0
  2. 2Glenn27.0
  3. 3Mendocino27.0
  4. 4Tehama28.5
  5. 5Modoc30.0
  6. 6Lassen31.0
  7. 7Monterey31.0
  8. 8Mariposa32.0
  9. 9San Joaquin32.0
  10. 10Kern33.0
  11. 11Madera33.0
  12. 12Merced34.0
  13. 13Solano34.0
  14. 14Stanislaus34.0
  15. 15San Bernardino35.0
  16. 16Imperial36.0
  17. 17San Benito36.0
  18. 18Fresno37.0
  19. 19Riverside37.0
  20. 20Sacramento37.0
  21. 21Sutter37.0
  22. 22Tulare37.0
  23. 23Yuba37.5
  24. 24Inyo38.0
  25. 25Kings38.0

How we score this

Every California public school's raw number is mapped to a 0–10 score using the absolute anchor table below — no peer-relative ranking.

Reading proficiency (% met/exceeded)

Higher is better

Column: SELA_Y1

PercentileRaw valueScore
5th110
50th415
95th8010

Values between the 5th and 95th percentile are linearly interpolated. Outside that range, scores clamp at 0 or 10.

Read the full methodology →