Who Gets Access to Quality Math Materials in California?: New CEMD Reports Map Curriculum Across K–12 Ahead of 2025 Adoption

The Center for Education Market Dynamics • October 08, 2025

Who Gets Access to Quality Math Materials in California?

New CEMD Reports Map Curriculum Across K–12 Ahead of 2025 Adoption

Oakland, CA — As California prepares for its long-anticipated 2025 math curriculum adoption, new reports from CEMD reveal both progress and persistent inequities in access to high-quality instructional materials across the state’s schools. At a moment when the state’s 5.5 million students are directly impacted by upcoming adoption decisions, these three reports—covering K–5, 6–8, and high school—provide the most comprehensive picture yet of California’s math curriculum landscape.

California has reached a crossroads.

For more than a decade, California districts have been teaching math with older materials that may not meet today’s quality standards, modern pedagogy, and student needs. In many classrooms, especially those serving Black, Latino, Indigenous, multilingual learners, and students experiencing poverty, this uneven access to materials results in widening of existing inequities.

CEMD’s research shows both the good and the bad of this last decade. One one hand, more districts are moving toward high-quality, standards-aligned programs. On the other, the majority of students—especially those in historically underserved communities—are still learning from materials published before 2018. Without bold, student-centered choices, the upcoming adoption could reinforce the very inequities it is meant to solve.

“This is a once-in-a-decade chance to get math right for California’s students,” says CEMD’s executive director, Lora Kaiser. “We estimate that up to 650 districts serving 3.5M students may make a new selection choice in the coming two years. The decisions made following this state adoption will shape math learning for the next generation. Our goal is that they start this journey with a clear, unbiased map of the curriculum landscape—what other districts are adopting, what patterns are emerging—to inform and sharpen their decisions.”

Who gets access to quality?

Together, these analyses offer the most comprehensive look yet at California’s math curriculum landscape—and the stakes for equity, coherence, and student success.

• K–5: Over a quarter of California elementary students still have access to materials from the 2014 adoption list and more than 80% of students – over one million students in total – are accessing materials from 2018 and older.
• 6–8: Middle school selections also remain fragmented, with over 50% of California middle school students (nearly twice the number of California elementary school students) still accessing materials from the 2014 adoption, and nearly 85% accessing materials published in 2018 or earlier.
• High School: CEMD’s new high school analysis shows inconsistent access to high-quality materials in Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II—courses that are gatekeepers for advanced math and postsecondary success. Most notably, the vast majority of high school students are also still using outdated curricula from 2018 or earlier, regardless of the math pathway their district follows.
• Outdated curricula are concentrated in underserved communities as evident by approximately 92% of students in low-income districts and approximately 91% of students in predominantly non-white districts still using pre-2018 materials.

What’s next for math in California?

“For district leaders, the responsibility this adoption season is clear,” Kaiser added. “This adoption is a chance for districts to consider how their choices can promote coherence across grade levels, ensuring students experience smooth progressions in math from elementary through high school. It’s a chance to prioritize materials that meet the needs of all learners, including the distinct needs of multilingual learners. It is also a chance to address equity by closing gaps that leave those students who are furthest from opportunity with older, less effective materials. And it is a moment to invest in teacher support, so that new programs are implemented with the kind of curriculum-based professional learning critical for driving student success.”

CEMD’s full suite of California math reports—spanning K–5, 6–8, and high school—are available here.

CEMD empowers education leaders to make quality decisions that can increase the awareness and adoption of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM). Their goal is to improve the curriculum information landscape, making insights and data on curriculum selection clear and accessible for everyone involved. CEMD is also a proud member of the Cambiar Education network and is a project of Cambiar Education.