During the 1975-76 school year, all second and third grade pupils in California were tested in reading achievement and all students in grades six and twelve were tested in reading, written expression, spelling, and mathematics. Reading scores for second and third graders have been improving since 1966, but the 1975-76 scores show little improvement over the 1974-75 scores. Results for sixth grade reveal that students improved in all four areas tested. The greatest improvement was in mathematics and the least in written expression. For the second year, grade six scores have improved after several years of decline. Students taking the twelfth grade test improved in all areas of the test. Greatest improvement was recorded in spelling; least in reading. 1975-76 was the first year of improvement for students in grade 12 after 5 years of declining scores. Analyses of the specific test results and comparisons of the performance of California students to national averages are presented. Test scores are analyzed in terms of school characteristics and student background factors such as ethnicity, language, and socioeconomic status. (EVH)