Los Angeles County Special Education: 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.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 123 points under the grade 3 bar. 2309 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 71 points under the grade 3 bar. 2361 vs. 2432. The 4th-grade bar is 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores 115 points under the grade 3 bar. 2317 vs. 2432. The 5th-grade bar is 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores 97 points under the grade 3 bar. 2335 vs. 2432. The 6th-grade bar is 2531.
7th The average 7th grader scores 38 points under the grade 4 bar. 2435 vs. 2473. The 7th-grade bar is 2552.
8th The average 8th grader scores 41 points under the grade 4 bar. 2432 vs. 2473. The 8th-grade bar is 2567.
11th The average 11th grader scores 28 points under the grade 4 bar. 2445 vs. 2473. The 11th-grade bar is 2583.

2018 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	20,310	2301.9	− 2432	−130.1	× 9 / 91	−12.9
4	20,311	2343.9	− 2473	−129.1	× 15 / 91	−21.3
5	20,314	2378.4	− 2502	−123.6	× 12 / 91	−16.3
6	20,315	2349.3	− 2531	−181.7	× 15 / 91	−30
7	20,318	2395.3	− 2552	−156.7	× 12 / 91	−20.7
8	20,319	2410.8	− 2567	−156.2	× 11 / 91	−18.9
11	20,322	2492.2	− 2583	−90.8	× 17 / 91	−17
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−137

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	19,282	2305.3	− 2432	−126.7	× 9 / 106	−10.8
4	19,284	2329.6	− 2473	−143.4	× 11 / 106	−14.9
5	19,285	2352.2	− 2502	−149.8	× 13 / 106	−18.4
6	19,288	2391.6	− 2531	−139.4	× 17 / 106	−22.4
7	19,289	2407.2	− 2552	−144.8	× 25 / 106	−34.2
8	19,291	2423.7	− 2567	−143.3	× 17 / 106	−23
11	19,294	2472.9	− 2583	−110.1	× 14 / 106	−14.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−138

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	19,590	2299.9	− 2432	−132.1	× 15 / 62	−32
7	19,597	2423.2	− 2552	−128.8	× 15 / 62	−31.2
8	19,600	2392.4	− 2567	−174.6	× 14 / 62	−39.4
11	19,601	2435.5	− 2583	−147.5	× 18 / 62	−42.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−145

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	19,578	2309.1	− 2432	−122.9	× 11 / 95	−14.2
4	19,580	2360.6	− 2473	−112.4	× 17 / 95	−20.1
5	19,582	2317.1	− 2502	−184.9	× 12 / 95	−23.4
6	19,584	2334.9	− 2531	−196.1	× 15 / 95	−31
7	19,586	2434.8	− 2552	−117.2	× 11 / 95	−13.6
8	19,588	2432.3	− 2567	−134.7	× 13 / 95	−18.4
11	19,590	2444.8	− 2583	−138.2	× 16 / 95	−23.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−144

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −137, −138, −145, −144 → −141
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 1 · 2016→2017: 7 · 2017→2018: 1 → average 3
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 3 × 2.66 = 8. Upper limit −133, lower limit −149.

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".

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.