Volume 40 No.1 | Thursday March 26, 2026

WESTSIDESTORY NEWSPAPER

Sen. Weber Pierson Bill Takes

Aim at Early Math Gaps in California Classrooms

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

• CALIFORNIA
• SB1067
• MATH SCREENING FOR EVERY CHILD
• MAT
• OR D
• SB1067
• MATH SCREENING FOR EVERY CHILD
• SB 1067
• MATH SCREENING FOR EVERY CHILD

Dr. Akilah Weber Person

Senate Bill (SB) 1067, introduced in February by Sen. Akilah Weber-Pierson (D-San Diego), seeks to close California's racial achievement gap in education by requiring universal screen- ing and early identification of math difficulties for students in kindergarten through second grade.

"California students are tested multiple times throughout their academic careers. Through the statewide California Assessment of Stu- dent Performance and Progress (CAASPP), students take math assessments in grades 3-8 and again in the 11th grade," Weber-Pierson said. "These assessments provide important information about student learning, but they begin in the third grade, and by that time, many students who are struggling with foundational math skills have already fallen behind.”

Weber Pierson's proposal comes amid grow- ing concern about math performance state- wide. According to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), the share of students meeting or exceeding math standards rose slightly to 37.3% in 2025, up from 35.5% the previous year. However, disparities remain stark: only 18% of Black students and 21% of Latino students were proficient in math in 2025, meaning roughly four out of five stu- dents in those groups did not meet standards. Researchers say pandemic-related disruptions have widened these gaps.

Weber Pierson said SB 1067 is designed to help educators intervene earlier. "SB 1067 does not add high-stakes testing. Instead, it introduces a simple early math screener to help educators identify learning gaps earlier and provide support before those challenges grow," she said.

• To continue, visit www.westsidestorynewspaper.com.
• SERVICES
• + Business Managers
• * Professional Accounting
• • Non Profit 5010 Specialist
• + Income Tax Preparation
• • File Partnership & Corporation Returns
• + Corporate Specialist
• + Church Accounting
• MDISNET
• REGINALD. YOUNG Corporate Tax Accountant
• Cell: (909) 238-6891 Email: [email protected] www.mdisnet.com
• THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026
• Continued from page 4
• Cutting Coverage of Diabetes and Weight
• Loss Meds

Black experience dispropor- tionately high rates of diabetes, hyperten- sion, and cardiovas- cular disease.

Californians

Black women are also more likely to be uninsured or un- derinsured and rely on our state's health safety net. In fact, roughly 35% of Black women in our state depend on Medi-Cal for health coverage, a sign of limited ability to absorb additional healthcare costs when coverage disappears.

For many Black households, access to preventive care, healthy food, safe environments for ex- ercise, and consistent insurance coverage is already fragile. When evidence-based treat- ments become avail- able, access to them should be expanded not restricted. To continue, visit www.westsidesto- rynewspaper.com.

Continued from page

Pre-Enroll Your

Child Now dards-based, high-quality instruction in both English and Spanish during the school day. The program is open to native Spanish speak- ers and native English speakers, as well as stu- dents who are new to both languages and are interested in becoming fluent in English and Spanish. For more information about the Dual Immersion Program, contact the Language Assessment Center at (909) 891-1037. Parents and guardians will need several docu- ments on hand in order to pre-enroll their child for school either online at https://sbcusd.asp. aeries.net/air/ or in person:

Child's birth verification (i.e. birth cer- tificate, hospital certificate, baptismal certifi- cate or passport)

Child's immunization record

Parent/guardian photo identification

Address verification (i.e. utility bill, lease/rental agreement or affidavit from land- lord)

Children who have some, but not all, of their required vaccinations may still be eligible to pre-enroll so long as required immunizations are completed before the first day of school.

Families may check https://locator.pea.pow- erschool.com/?StudyID=235043 to determine their child's home school. Families may also watch an Enrollment/Pre-Enrollment Instruc- tional Video for directions on how to pre-en- roll online. For more information about de- termining your child's home school or how to pre-enroll, contact Enrollment and Placement Services at (909) 889-7576.