California Virtual Academy @ Los Angeles, Simi Valley CA

Original Research by School Decision on California Virtual Academy @ Los Angeles

California Virtual Academy @ Los Angeles is a charter school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade in Simi Valley, with a substantially large enrollment. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with substantial representation from lower-income households; a majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school operates as a virtual learning environment, a characteristic that shapes both its academic pathway and peer context in ways that differ fundamentally from traditional brick-and-mortar schooling.

On state assessments, the school's proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science are below the midpoint relative to other districts in Ventura County. In math, proficiency across tested grades ranges in the low to mid-forties in middle school, while elementary grades show lower performance, with some grades in the upper thirties. English language arts shows a similar pattern, with middle grades generally in the low forties and elementary grades in the mid-to-upper thirties. Science proficiency, tested at grades five and eight, registers at around midpoint in grade eight but substantially lower in grade five. These results reflect the academic challenges often associated with virtual learning models, where student engagement, home support, and self-direction become especially consequential. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what support systems and intervention strategies are in place for students who are not proficient, and how the virtual model adapts to different learners' needs.

The school's enrollment spans all grade levels from early childhood through high school, though state testing results are available only for grades three through eight in math and ELA, and grades five and eight in science, because those are the grade levels California assesses. No graduation rate data appears in the provided information, which may reflect missing data or a data reporting lag rather than a gap specific to this school type.

The virtual charter school model itself is the defining characteristic of the student experience. Unlike traditional schools, students engage with coursework from home, which can offer flexibility for families managing work schedules, medical needs, or other constraints. This format also places greater responsibility on students and families for time management, motivation, and creating a structured learning environment. The peer environment is distributed rather than concentrated; there are no hallways, lunch periods, or informal social spaces where students interact daily. Some families and students thrive in this independence; others struggle without the structure and daily peer interaction that campus-based schools provide.

Simi Valley itself is a mature suburban community anchored by residential subdivisions and master-planned neighborhoods, with a commercial center at the Simi Valley Town Center and a civic hub housing City Hall, the library, and transit connections. The area has limited land available for new development; housing costs are above the state benchmark, reflecting Ventura County's broader real estate market. The local economy rests on health care, aerospace manufacturing, and retail, with some families commuting to Los Angeles County for work. The Metrolink station provides rail access, and local transit includes city bus routes and an on-demand service pilot.

For a family considering California Virtual Academy @ Los Angeles, the central questions are whether the virtual format aligns with your student's learning style and your family's capacity to provide structured home support, and whether the school's current proficiency levels and available interventions meet your academic expectations. The school serves a diverse, economically challenged population in a stable suburban setting; the question is not whether this is a traditional campus experience, but whether virtual learning is the right fit for your household.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

79.0%Cohort of 343 students · Class of 2021

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 528%

School 28% · district not reported

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 743%

School 43% · district not reported

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · district not reported

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 337%

School 37% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · district not reported

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 531%

School 31% · district not reported

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 640%

School 40% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 741%

School 41% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 841%

School 41% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Science

Grade 527%

School 27% · district not reported

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 839%

School 39% · district not reported

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income33%Higher-income53%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income32%Higher-income49%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income45%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income43%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income38%Higher-income51%13 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income48%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income37%Higher-income53%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income38%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income38%12 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income45%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income46%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income50%8 pp gap