California touts some of the highest educational standards in the country. Yet when it comes to the state's African-American students, these standards have proved to be little more than a mirage, forever out of reach. This report analyzes the most recent data on African-American achievement and opportunity gaps from the elementary grades through high school and into college. It also examines performance trends over the past eight years (2003-10). It counteracts negative perceptions and low expectations for African-American students by identifying the state's top-performing, moderate-to-high-poverty school districts, both in terms of overall African-American achievement and improvement over time. This report also reveals which districts have the lowest rates of African-American achievement and smallest performance gains. It concludes by recommending a series of reforms that can transform the educational conditions that produce the state's achievement and opportunity gaps. (Contains 7 tables, 4 figures, 3 notes and 8 data sources.)