Sunset Elementary: 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 6.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 67 points under the grade 3 bar. 2365 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 33 points under the grade 3 bar. 2399 vs. 2432. The 4th-grade bar is 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores 14 points under the grade 5 bar. 2488 vs. 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores 11 points under the grade 5 bar. 2491 vs. 2502. The 6th-grade bar is 2531.

2024 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
3	39,580	2396.7	− 2432	−35.3	× 38 / 123	−10.9
4	39,582	2472.4	− 2473	−0.6	× 20 / 123	−0.1
5	39,584	2510.4	− 2502	8.4	× 33 / 123	2.3
6	39,586	2517.3	− 2531	−13.7	× 32 / 123	−3.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−12

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,684	2426.9	− 2432	−5.1	× 32 / 121	−1.3
4	36,687	2448.1	− 2473	−24.9	× 34 / 121	−7
5	36,689	2499.2	− 2502	−2.8	× 22 / 121	−0.5
6	36,690	2499.0	− 2531	−32	× 33 / 121	−8.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−18

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	37,450	2442.2	− 2432	10.2	× 30 / 119	2.6
4	37,452	2453.4	− 2473	−19.6	× 33 / 119	−5.4
5	37,455	2477.5	− 2502	−24.5	× 33 / 119	−6.8
6	37,456	2513.2	− 2531	−17.8	× 23 / 119	−3.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−13

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	37,404	2444.7	− 2432	12.7	× 36 / 133	3.4
4	37,405	2460.1	− 2473	−12.9	× 31 / 133	−3
5	37,408	2498.1	− 2502	−3.9	× 32 / 133	−0.9
6	37,409	2520.5	− 2531	−10.5	× 34 / 133	−2.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−3

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	37,603	2423.3	− 2432	−8.7	× 33 / 127	−2.3
4	37,604	2478.1	− 2473	5.1	× 34 / 127	1.4
5	37,605	2497.4	− 2502	−4.6	× 31 / 127	−1.1
6	37,606	2498.9	− 2531	−32.1	× 29 / 127	−7.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−9

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	37,510	2422.5	− 2432	−9.5	× 25 / 99	−2.4
4	37,511	2421.1	− 2473	−51.9	× 18 / 99	−9.4
5	37,512	2485.4	− 2502	−16.6	× 28 / 99	−4.7
6	37,513	2504.1	− 2531	−26.9	× 28 / 99	−7.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−24

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	37,541	2412.5	− 2432	−19.5	× 13 / 83	−3.1
4	37,542	2429.4	− 2473	−43.6	× 25 / 83	−13.1
5	37,543	2486.3	− 2502	−15.7	× 16 / 83	−3
6	37,544	2511.2	− 2531	−19.8	× 29 / 83	−6.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−26

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	37,393	2364.6	− 2432	−67.4	× 14 / 61	−15.5
4	37,394	2398.8	− 2473	−74.2	× 11 / 61	−13.4
5	37,395	2487.9	− 2502	−14.1	× 22 / 61	−5.1
6	37,396	2491.4	− 2531	−39.6	× 14 / 61	−9.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−43

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −12, −18, −13, −3, −9, −24, −26, −43 → −18.5
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: 5 · 2017→2018: 10 · 2018→2019: 6 · 2019→2022: 15 · 2022→2023: 2 · 2023→2024: 17 → average 8.7
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 8.7 × 2.66 = 23.1. Upper limit 4.6, lower limit −41.6.

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.