Olita 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 52 points under the grade 3 bar. 2380 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 35 points under the grade 4 bar. 2438 vs. 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores 19 points under the grade 5 bar. 2483 vs. 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores 25 points under the grade 6 bar. 2506 vs. 2531.

2021 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	34,363	2407.1	− 2432	−24.9	× 70 / 280	−6.2
4	34,365	2430.8	− 2473	−42.2	× 64 / 280	−9.6
5	34,367	2481.6	− 2502	−20.4	× 72 / 280	−5.2
6	34,369	2521.8	− 2531	−9.2	× 74 / 280	−2.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−24

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	32,140	2415.9	− 2432	−16.1	× 59 / 267	−3.6
4	32,141	2474.7	− 2473	1.7	× 70 / 267	0.4
5	32,143	2508.4	− 2502	6.4	× 65 / 267	1.6
6	32,146	2538.0	− 2531	7	× 73 / 267	1.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						0

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	32,675	2428.2	− 2432	−3.8	× 58 / 248	−0.9
4	32,677	2466.2	− 2473	−6.8	× 59 / 248	−1.6
5	32,679	2519.1	− 2502	17.1	× 69 / 248	4.8
6	32,682	2551.5	− 2531	20.5	× 62 / 248	5.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						7

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	32,693	2432.2	− 2432	0.2	× 51 / 254	0
4	32,695	2462.6	− 2473	−10.4	× 67 / 254	−2.7
5	32,697	2508.5	− 2502	6.5	× 66 / 254	1.7
6	32,699	2554.0	− 2531	23	× 70 / 254	6.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						5

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	32,869	2441.0	− 2432	9	× 64 / 260	2.2
4	32,870	2482.6	− 2473	9.6	× 53 / 260	2
5	32,871	2499.2	− 2502	−2.8	× 72 / 260	−0.8
6	32,872	2545.9	− 2531	14.9	× 71 / 260	4.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						7

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	32,074	2380.2	− 2432	−51.8	× 48 / 241	−10.3
4	32,075	2438.4	− 2473	−34.6	× 62 / 241	−8.9
5	32,076	2482.6	− 2502	−19.4	× 65 / 241	−5.2
6	32,077	2505.7	− 2531	−25.3	× 66 / 241	−6.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−31

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −24, 0, 7, 5, 7, −31 → −6
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 24 · 2016→2017: 7 · 2017→2018: 2 · 2018→2019: 2 · 2019→2021: 38 → average 14.6
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 14.6 × 2.66 = 38.8. Upper limit 32.8, lower limit −44.8.

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.