BY CLAIRE DEIPARINE
As the 2024-25 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress results arrive, Carmel High School’s mathematics and English departments are seeing test scores return to pre-pandemic levels following declines during online learning.
The CAASPP, California’s statewide public school testing system, measures how well students meet grade-level standards in math and English language arts. Each spring, CHS juniors take the exam, and their results contribute to the state’s public performance dashboard, which shapes the school’s academic reputation and culture.
graphic by CLAIRE DEIPARINE
Before the pandemic, CHS stood well above the state average with 67.13% of juniors in 2018-19 meeting or exceeding standards in math and 80.66% in English language arts, or ELA. But when students transitioned to remote learning, test performance dipped noticeably, coinciding with the shift to online instruction. By 2022-23, math proficiency had fallen to 49.25% and ELA scores slipped to 76.26%, signaling the academic toll of the pandemic.
The 2024-25 results indicate that student performance has returned to levels seen pre-pandemic. The recent CAASPP data shows that 65.73% of CHS juniors met or exceeded the math standard and 81.72% did so in ELA, placing student performance back on par with pre-pandemic results.
Math department chair Juan Gomez attributes the improvement to teachers’ increased support and a more intentional approach to instruction.
“Teachers are going slower and making sure students get the help they need,” Gomez says. “We try to make ourselves as available as we can.”
According to Gomez, the math department has focused on depth over breadth, emphasizing stronger understanding of core concepts rather than racing through the curriculum.
“We want to make sure students feel supported in their learning.” Gomez adds. “When students feel supported, that breeds success.”
Former math chair Steve Nacht, who oversaw the department through the pandemic transition, says consistency and adaptation have contributed to the improvement.
“The test used to be twice as long before COVID-19, so we don’t get as much data now,” Nacht notes. “But our results are improving, which shows that students are regaining confidence and consistency.”
Nacht also credits the adoption of updated textbooks and additional resources to helping make difficult content more accessible without sacrificing rigor. Despite a smaller student body now than before the pandemic, enrollment in advanced math courses has remained strong among juniors.
