Vista Independent Study / Virtual Academy: english

The shaded band is this school's normal range. If nothing about how it works changes, nearly every future year should land inside it. Zero means the typical student just meets the state standard. The small numbers under the years are how many students were tested.

Measured against the grade bars

The state's English test uses one scale for every grade, so a score means the same thing in grade 3 as in grade 11.

4th The average 4th grader scores 26 points under the grade 4 bar. 2447 vs. 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores just under the grade 5 bar. 2498 vs. 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores 16 points under the grade 4 bar. 2457 vs. 2473. The 6th-grade bar is 2531.
7th The average 7th grader scores just under the grade 6 bar. 2524 vs. 2531. The 7th-grade bar is 2552.
8th The average 8th grader scores just under the grade 5 bar. 2502 vs. 2502. The 8th-grade bar is 2567.
11th The average 11th grader scores just under the grade 8 bar. 2561 vs. 2567. The 11th-grade bar is 2583.

2026 results. The English test covers reading, writing, listening and research together. "Meets standard" is the state's mark for being on track for that grade.

Step 1 · Each year's result

For each grade tested, take the average (mean) scale score from the California Department of Education's results file, and subtract the lowest score that counts as "Standard Met" for that grade. That is the grade's distance from standard. Weight each grade by its share of the students tested, then add the grades up. Grades where the state hides the average because ten or fewer students tested are left out entirely.

2015 from sb_ca2015_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
11	7,583	2514.4	− 2583	−68.6	× 47 / 47	−68.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−69

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
8	6,764	2524.9	− 2567	−42.1	× 11 / 43	−10.8
11	6,767	2496.5	− 2583	−86.5	× 32 / 43	−64.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−75

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
8	6,976	2498.4	− 2567	−68.6	× 11 / 42	−18
11	6,979	2531.4	− 2583	−51.6	× 31 / 42	−38.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−56

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
11	6,996	2523.7	− 2583	−59.3	× 42 / 42	−59.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−59

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
11	7,036	2519.1	− 2583	−63.9	× 47 / 47	−63.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−64

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
11	6,843	2531.4	− 2583	−51.6	× 12 / 12	−51.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−52

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	6,967	2377.0	− 2432	−55	× 42 / 210	−11
4	6,968	2422.8	− 2473	−50.2	× 32 / 210	−7.6
5	6,969	2413.8	− 2502	−88.2	× 18 / 210	−7.6
6	6,970	2490.0	− 2531	−41	× 25 / 210	−4.9
7	6,971	2509.2	− 2552	−42.8	× 28 / 210	−5.7
8	6,972	2529.6	− 2567	−37.4	× 21 / 210	−3.7
11	6,973	2572.7	− 2583	−10.3	× 44 / 210	−2.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−43

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	6,953	2338.7	− 2432	−93.3	× 29 / 262	−10.3
4	6,954	2401.0	− 2473	−72	× 30 / 262	−8.2
5	6,955	2426.0	− 2502	−76	× 24 / 262	−7
6	6,956	2448.0	− 2531	−83	× 24 / 262	−7.6
7	6,957	2493.0	− 2552	−59	× 46 / 262	−10.4
8	6,958	2437.0	− 2567	−130	× 54 / 262	−26.8
11	6,959	2539.7	− 2583	−43.3	× 55 / 262	−9.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−79

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	6,902	2429.7	− 2432	−2.3	× 15 / 175	−0.2
4	6,903	2347.5	− 2473	−125.5	× 25 / 175	−17.9
5	6,904	2408.8	− 2502	−93.2	× 19 / 175	−10.1
6	6,905	2442.1	− 2531	−88.9	× 20 / 175	−10.2
7	6,906	2458.8	− 2552	−93.2	× 17 / 175	−9.1
8	6,907	2545.5	− 2567	−21.5	× 31 / 175	−3.8
11	6,908	2522.0	− 2583	−61	× 48 / 175	−16.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−68

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	6,862	2377.0	− 2432	−55	× 13 / 165	−4.3
4	6,863	2455.5	− 2473	−17.5	× 14 / 165	−1.5
5	6,864	2392.4	− 2502	−109.6	× 22 / 165	−14.6
6	6,865	2482.2	− 2531	−48.8	× 13 / 165	−3.8
7	6,866	2487.5	− 2552	−64.5	× 25 / 165	−9.8
8	6,867	2499.4	− 2567	−67.6	× 25 / 165	−10.2
11	6,868	2546.0	− 2583	−37	× 53 / 165	−11.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−56

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
4	6,867	2447.1	− 2473	−25.9	× 11 / 139	−2
5	6,868	2498.0	− 2502	−4	× 11 / 139	−0.3
6	6,869	2456.9	− 2531	−74.1	× 16 / 139	−8.5
7	6,870	2523.6	− 2552	−28.4	× 13 / 139	−2.7
8	6,871	2501.9	− 2567	−65.1	× 25 / 139	−11.7
11	6,872	2560.7	− 2583	−22.3	× 63 / 139	−10.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−35

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −69, −75, −56, −59, −64, −52, −43, −79, −68, −56, −35 → −59.6
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 6 · 2016→2017: 19 · 2017→2018: 3 · 2018→2019: 5 · 2019→2021: 12 · 2021→2022: 9 · 2022→2023: 36 · 2023→2024: 11 · 2024→2025: 12 · 2025→2026: 21 → average 13.4
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 13.4 × 2.66 = 35.6. Upper limit −24, lower limit −95.2.

Why 2.66? It is the standard factor from quality control, the work of Walter Shewhart and W. Edwards Deming. It turns "how much the result typically changes in a year" into "how far it can wander by chance alone".

Years with no result (no state tests were given in spring 2020) are skipped: the year-to-year change runs from the last year with a result to the next one.

Step 3 · Free or reduced-price meals

The share of enrolled students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. From 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26.