FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CA Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Early Math Screening Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2026
California Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Early Math Screening Bill to Identify and Support Struggling Students Sooner
SB 1067, authored by Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D., with 21 bipartisan coauthors, would require K-2 universal math screening statewide, building on the momentum of California’s landmark early literacy screening policy
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, the California Senate Appropriations Committee heard the bills placed on suspense and unanimously advanced Senate Bill 1067, legislation that would establish a statewide early math screening for students in kindergarten through second grade, ensuring that students who are struggling with foundational math skills are identified and supported early. This vote reflects growing legislative consensus that California’s early math crisis demands urgent action.
The bill is co-authored by Senators Allen, Durazo, Grayson, Niello, Ochoa Bogh, Rubio, and Wahab, and Assemblymembers Bains, Bonta, Bryan, Elhawary, Garcia, Hoover, Jackson, Papan, Quirk-Silva, Ransom, Michelle Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Schiavo, and Wilson.
SB 1067 builds on California’s recent progress in early literacy, where universal screening has already been implemented to identify reading challenges in young students. That policy, established under SB 114, will reach approximately 1.2 million K–2 students this school year, and is grounded in research showing that early identification paired with targeted intervention can significantly improve long-term outcomes.
Advocates say the same approach is urgently needed in math, where too many students — disproportionately Black, Latino, and low-income students — fall behind before gaps are even recognized. Today, just 37% of California students are performing at grade level in math and the state ranks 43rd nationally in fourth-grade math proficiency.
“Research consistently shows that early identification and intervention are critical to helping students succeed academically, and SB 1067 applies that evidence-based approach to math,” said Marshall Tuck, CEO of EdVoice. “Without early support, students who fall behind in foundational math skills often face greater academic challenges later on. This bill gives schools the tools to intervene sooner and helps put more students on a path toward success in school, career, and everyday life.”
Experts emphasize that screening is not an endpoint, but the first step in a comprehensive system of supports that includes effective preparation and credentialing for teacher candidates, evidence-based instructional materials and teacher training, and ongoing progress monitoring.
Supporters of SB 1067 argue that a statewide screening system will help schools act earlier, use data more effectively, keep parents informed of their child’s progress, and improve outcomes for students, particularly those from low-income communities.
The bill now advances to the Assembly Education Committee for further consideration. EdVoice and a growing coalition of 45 supporting advocates and organizations will continue to advocate for SB 1067 through the legislative process.
About EdVoice:
EdVoice is a 501(c)4 nonprofit education advocacy organization driving California state policy change to transform our state’s public education system so it effectively prepares all children for opportunities in college, career, and life. To combat the current system’s inequities, EdVoice engages in direct advocacy with policymakers to influence the passage or defeat of key legislation, leads education and awareness campaigns to raise up our policy priority areas, and provides strategic political funding through our EdVoice for the Kids PAC to leaders prioritizing students from low-income communities.
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