Governor Gavin Newsom has chosen not to take a stance on the ongoing controversy surrounding standardized testing for University of California admissions. He dismissed concerns raised by professors about students struggling with basic math as mere “anecdotes.”
During a press conference on Wednesday in Hayward, Newsom was questioned about an open letter signed by over 1,200 UC professors, including Nobel laureates and prominent scientists. The letter highlighted a “severe” crisis, where incoming freshmen are unable to perform simple calculations like fractions, leading educators to simplify Calculus and other advanced courses.
“Show me the data,” Newsom responded. “I have feelings about this, there’s anecdotes about this, but I want to see the data,” he added.
A report by the UC San Diego Senate-Administration Working Group last year revealed a startling 30-fold increase in college students lacking basic math skills.
In 2020, only 30 incoming freshmen at the university had math skills below the high school level. By 2025, this figure jumped to 900, according to the UC San Diego panel.
Professors attribute this trend to the 2020 removal of SAT and ACT testing requirements for university admissions. Critics argue this change has promoted widespread grade inflation.
“Some students are five to eight years behind in mathematics. Office hours that should be spent discussing integrals instead become lessons on fractions and basic algebra you would expect students to learn in middle school,” wrote Zvezdelina Stankova, a math professor at UC Berkeley, in an op-ed for the San Francisco Standard.
The University of California Board of Regents is expected to address the matter next year.
“There are some different options for testing if they choose to bring it back, and [University of California Regents] are looking at that now,” noted Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the California Board of Education.
Newsom made his remarks at Schafer Park Elementary School, where he emphasized the state’s significant investments in childhood education.
Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, highlighted the expansion of “community schools,” which offer services ranging from free healthy food to laundry and eye care for families.
California has increased its per-pupil spending to over $28,000 annually, including a 43% rise in special education spending to an impressive $2.4 billion in the current state budget.
The governor’s office claims that the universal transitional kindergarten program, initiated in the 2022-2023 school year, has provided families with annual savings of $14,000.
According to state data, fewer than half of California students are “proficient” or “advanced” in math and reading.
In 2025, only 37% of students met math standards, compared to 48% in reading.
Newsom expressed confidence that the results set to be released in October would show improvement.
