Math Crisis Hits College Freshmen A bombshell internal report from the University of California San Diego has exposed a dramatic decline in math preparedness among incoming college students, raising urgent questions about high school standards and the push to eliminate standardized testing. Between 2020 and 2025, the number of UC San Diego freshmen whose math skills fell below high school level skyrocketed nearly 30-fold — from roughly 30 students to over 900. These students

California operates one of the most complex K-12 systems in the nation: the state Department of Education, 58 county offices of education (including Shasta County Office of Education - SCOE), and over 1,000 local districts—many tiny and rural. In Shasta County, there are 25 independent districts, plus SCOE, that serve about 26,000–27,000 students. Despite spending $billions, students are being left behind.