Race and Achievement Gaps in CAASPP Testing: A Decade of Data from LVUSD

This study analyzes racial disparities in educational outcomes. Using California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) math and English testing data from the Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD) spanning 10 years (2015–2024), it highlights the correlation between race and subsequent test scores. LVUSD is generally regarded as a high-performing district, yet inequities persist, illustrating how race influences standardized outcomes even in well-resourced contexts. The forces fueling inequities, resource distribution, implicit bias, and structural barriers are indicative of national trends despite the single-district focus of analysis. While the LVUSD case illustrates disparities that mirror national patterns, the findings are specific to one district and should be interpreted with caution when extrapolated to broader U.S. contexts. For example, African American students’ math performance showed an R² of 0.689, meaning nearly 69% of the variance was associated with race, while White students’ scores showed an R² of 0.404. In English, Hispanic students displayed the strongest correlation (R² = 0.380). ANOVA confirmed significant between group differences (F = 363.54 for math, 163.29 for English; p < 0.001). Future research could compare results across additional districts and incorporate contextual factors such as school resources and home environments. The dataset, covering the 2015–2024 timeframe, excludes long-term outcomes and post 2024 policy reforms, which may also influence performance.