All second- and third-grade students in California public schools were tested in reading achievement, and all sixth and twelfth grade students were tested in reading, written expression, spelling, and mathematics. Second- and third-grade achievement gains were reported on the California Reading Assessment Program Reading Test over an eleven-year period. In a comparison of California pupil performance and national student performance, California's second- and third-grade students were determined to be at the 55th and 56th percentile ranks, respectively, compared to the national average. Comparison with 1975-76 California scores showed a slight decline in sixth-grade reading achievement and gains in written expression and mathematics. The same comparison for grade twelve showed a decline in all three achievement areas. Recommendations for instructional emphasis were included, as well as a subgroup analysis of achievement level by pupils, schools, and districts. Among the background factors considered were sex, English language fluency, occupation of family breadwinner, pupil mobility, entry level test scores, socioeconomic status, school size, type of district, and percent of pupils from families receiving aid for dependent children. California achievement levels are also compared with specific national test battery results. (Author/JAC)