(KMIZ)Large gaps in academic proficiency persist between student demographic groups at Columbia Public Schools, according to state testing scores from last year. CPS has struggled for years with what some leaders have called the "achievement gap," which refers to the disparity in standardized test scores between certain student demographics and their peers. This year's scores show Black students were nearly 30 percentage points behind the overall student average, despite gains over the last five years. During the 2024-2025 school year, Black fourth graders scored 9.4% proficient in math, compared to 19.6% for students overall. The scores are used by state officials to grade schools and make up a major part of the state's Annual Performance Reports for schools.