Merlinda 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.

All students

3rd The average 3rd grader scores just under the grade 3 bar. 2426 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 33 points under the grade 4 bar. 2440 vs. 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores 18 points under the grade 5 bar. 2484 vs. 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores just under the grade 6 bar. 2526 vs. 2531.

Students fluent in English

The closest these results come to reading alone: English is not in the way. Includes students who have only ever spoken English.

Grade bars 5th 58 students Just under the grade 5 bar.

English learners

Students leave this group as they become fluent, so its average stays low even where they learn well.

Grade bars 5th 13 students 26 points under the grade 3 bar.

the group's average that grade's own bar the distance between

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. The state leaves out any group of ten students or fewer, so a grade may be missing from the charts.

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	38,247	2425.2	− 2432	−6.8	× 113 / 378	−2
4	38,249	2455.0	− 2473	−18	× 82 / 378	−3.9
5	38,251	2507.2	− 2502	5.2	× 96 / 378	1.3
6	38,253	2541.5	− 2531	10.5	× 87 / 378	2.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−2

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,523	2430.0	− 2432	−2	× 78 / 373	−0.4
4	35,525	2489.4	− 2473	16.4	× 110 / 373	4.8
5	35,527	2500.0	− 2502	−2	× 91 / 373	−0.5
6	35,529	2522.4	− 2531	−8.6	× 94 / 373	−2.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						2

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,227	2423.2	− 2432	−8.8	× 74 / 357	−1.8
4	36,228	2508.9	− 2473	35.9	× 77 / 357	7.7
5	36,231	2520.8	− 2502	18.8	× 114 / 357	6
6	36,232	2517.3	− 2531	−13.7	× 92 / 357	−3.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						8

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,212	2447.3	− 2432	15.3	× 68 / 336	3.1
4	36,214	2479.7	− 2473	6.7	× 77 / 336	1.5
5	36,216	2537.8	− 2502	35.8	× 83 / 336	8.8
6	36,218	2545.3	− 2531	14.3	× 108 / 336	4.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						18

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,375	2426.2	− 2432	−5.8	× 76 / 301	−1.5
4	36,376	2498.2	− 2473	25.2	× 71 / 301	5.9
5	36,377	2509.5	− 2502	7.5	× 80 / 301	2
6	36,378	2557.6	− 2531	26.6	× 74 / 301	6.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						13

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,272	2423.9	− 2432	−8.1	× 55 / 273	−1.6
4	36,273	2474.8	− 2473	1.8	× 77 / 273	0.5
5	36,274	2513.6	− 2502	11.6	× 76 / 273	3.2
6	36,275	2543.9	− 2531	12.9	× 65 / 273	3.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						5

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,277	2424.3	− 2432	−7.7	× 56 / 258	−1.7
4	36,278	2461.1	− 2473	−11.9	× 53 / 258	−2.4
5	36,279	2513.2	− 2502	11.2	× 79 / 258	3.4
6	36,280	2533.0	− 2531	2	× 70 / 258	0.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						0

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,129	2407.5	− 2432	−24.5	× 66 / 255	−6.3
4	36,130	2446.6	− 2473	−26.4	× 59 / 255	−6.1
5	36,131	2507.4	− 2502	5.4	× 63 / 255	1.3
6	36,132	2502.9	− 2531	−28.1	× 67 / 255	−7.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−18

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,970	2421.8	− 2432	−10.2	× 55 / 230	−2.4
4	35,971	2438.3	− 2473	−34.7	× 63 / 230	−9.5
5	35,972	2512.3	− 2502	10.3	× 67 / 230	3
6	35,973	2523.1	− 2531	−7.9	× 45 / 230	−1.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−10

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,968	2426.3	− 2432	−5.7	× 63 / 257	−1.4
4	35,969	2440.2	− 2473	−32.8	× 59 / 257	−7.5
5	35,970	2484.4	− 2502	−17.6	× 71 / 257	−4.9
6	35,971	2526.1	− 2531	−4.9	× 64 / 257	−1.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−15

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −2, 2, 8, 18, 13, 5, 0, −18, −10, −15 → 0.1
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 4 · 2016→2017: 6 · 2017→2018: 10 · 2018→2019: 5 · 2019→2022: 8 · 2022→2023: 5 · 2023→2024: 18 · 2024→2025: 8 · 2025→2026: 5 → average 7.7
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 7.7 × 2.66 = 20.5. Upper limit 20.6, lower limit −20.4.

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.