Assemblymember Ransom Pushes California to Close Achievement Gaps and Stop Students from Falling Behind

SACRAMENTO, CA - Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom's AB 2514 passed the California State Assembly today, advancing legislation to help close California's achievement gap by requiring the state to publicly track whether its programs, policies, and investments are actually improving student outcomes.

AB 2514 creates a statewide "State of the Achievement Gap" Dashboard to give families, educators, and policymakers a clear way to see where California is making progress, where gaps remain, and where students are still being left behind. While local schools are already measured on student performance, California does not have a comparable public tool to show whether state-level decisions are helping districts close long-standing achievement gaps.

"California's achievement gap is simply unacceptable. These disparities are not abstract policy debates, but they are realities that affect classrooms, schools, and the futures of millions of students. AB 2514 ensures our work to close the achievement gap is backed by clear data, public accountability, and a state-level approach that helps set our schools up for success."

-Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom

"AB 2514 creates a state-level operations and support dashboard, providing visibility into how well the state is performing in supporting student outcomes," said Sabrena Rodriguez, CSBA President-elect and Ventura USD Board Member. "Locally, we measure school and district performance. What's missing is a way for the public to evaluate whether state-level decisions are having the desired effect. AB 2514 gives us the clarity we need to see what is working and better align our local strategies with the state-level approach."

California students continue to face major gaps in academic outcomes. The California Department of Education reported that in 2024-25, 48.8% of all students met or exceeded English language arts standards and 37.3% met or exceeded math standards, with lower rates for Black, Latino, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.