California Will Test Every K-2 Child in Math. Here's What It Won't Catch.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 1067 into law, requiring public schools to assess the math skills of every kindergarten through second-grade student, every year, starting in the 2028-29 school year. The law is meant to catch students falling behind in math before it becomes a lasting achievement gap. It’s a milestone for math education — but it’s not a dyscalculia test, and parents shouldn’t wait for a school assessment to recognize the signs of a math learning disability at home.

What Does SB 1067 Actually Require?

The law adds a yearly math check to the early years of elementary school.

• Schools must assess all K-2 students’ math knowledge every year, beginning in 2028-29
• Districts must also provide additional math support, such as coaching for teachers or group tutoring for students
• The state must set assessment criteria by July 2027 and publish an approved list of assessment tools by January 2028
• Assessments must be available in multiple languages, and results go primarily to parents — not the state, and not to rate teachers or schools

Why Is California Doing This Now?

The push follows years of weak math results and a widening gap between subjects.

• Only 37% of California students scored proficient in math on 2025 state tests, compared with 49% in language arts
• Proficiency was lower still among some groups: 26% for low-income students and 20% for Black students
• Bill author Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson said students who miss foundational math skills in grades K-2 “rarely catch up”
• EdVoice CEO Marshall Tuck, whose group sponsored the bill, said California “has not focused on math achievement” the way it has on reading

What Is Dyscalculia, and How Common Is It?

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability that affects a person’s ability to understand numbers and math concepts — similar to how dyslexia affects reading.

It’s not about intelligence or effort; a child with dyscalculia can be strong in other subjects while genuinely struggling with number sense. Research estimates dyscalculia affects roughly 5-7% of elementary-age children, making it about as common as dyslexia, according to the Child Mind Institute.

Signs of a Math Learning Disability Parents Can Watch For

A child doesn’t need a school assessment for parents to notice these patterns at home.

• Trouble recognizing small quantities at a glance, or consistently miscounting objects
• Persistent difficulty with basic addition and subtraction facts, even after lots of practice
• Confusion telling time on an analog clock, or with left and right
• Getting lost in multi-step problems, even when each individual step is understood
• Strong anxiety or avoidance specifically around math homework or math class — our guide to math anxiety covers this pattern in more depth, since the two often show up together

What Parents Can Do Right Now

A diagnosis, if needed, takes time — but support doesn’t have to wait for one.

• A private evaluation from a psychologist or learning specialist can formally assess for dyscalculia
• Regular, low-pressure practice at home helps regardless of whether a child has a diagnosed learning disability or is just behind — our guide to teaching first-grade math at home has specific, age-appropriate ways to start
• Programs like Cuemath’s 1-on-1 online math tutoring start with an assessment that finds exactly where a child’s understanding breaks down, concept by concept — useful whether or not a child ends up being formally diagnosed

What Happens Next

The law won’t change classrooms right away.

• The State Board of Education has until July 2027 to set the assessment criteria
• Approved assessment tools will be published by January 2028
• The first required assessments happen in the 2028-29 school year, with parents receiving results and a support plan for their child

Sources:
Newsom signs bill to detect math challenges in younger students, EdSource (September 28, 2026)
California bill to catch math struggles in youngest students heads to governor’s desk, EdSource (August 26, 2026)
How to Spot Dyscalculia, Child Mind Institute
What is Dyscalculia?, Learning Disabilities Association of America

Nupur Jain in ✉

Senior Writer

I write because I like understanding things properly, and I've never been able to do that quietly.

Six years in, what still interests me most isn't the writing itself. It's the person on the other side. Who are they, what were they actually worried about when they opened this page, and did they leave with what they came for? Most content fails that last test. It answers the easy question instead of the one that was asked.

At Cuemath, I write for parents and students in India and around the world. That range is the part I enjoy. A parent in Bangalore and a parent in Canada are asking about the same child, but not always in the same words, and that difference matters.

So I research before I write. Not just search results. Forums, reviews, the long comment threads where somebody finally admits what they're really confused about. That's usually where the useful thing is hiding.

I also spend time on how people find this writing at all, since a growing number of them now ask an AI instead of typing into Google. But that only works if the writing is clear to begin with. There's no shortcut around that part.