Ponderosa 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.

Many students here are still learning English, and this test is given in English. In 2026, 156 of the 442 students who took the English Language Arts test were English learners.

All students

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 74 points under the grade 3 bar. 2358 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 64 points under the grade 3 bar. 2368 vs. 2432. The 4th-grade bar is 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores just under the grade 3 bar. 2428 vs. 2432. The 5th-grade bar is 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores 24 points under the grade 4 bar. 2449 vs. 2473. The 6th-grade bar is 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 3rd 52 students 34 points under the grade 3 bar. 4th 64 students 30 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 74 students 21 points under the grade 4 bar. 6th 96 students Just under the grade 4 bar.

English learners

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

Grade bars 3rd 49 students 116 points under the grade 3 bar. 4th 40 students 119 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 35 students 57 points under the grade 3 bar. 6th 32 students 49 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	47,818	2360.5	− 2432	−71.5	× 158 / 601	−18.8
4	47,821	2382.0	− 2473	−91	× 139 / 601	−21
5	47,822	2430.4	− 2502	−71.6	× 153 / 601	−18.2
6	47,825	2505.0	− 2531	−26	× 151 / 601	−6.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−65

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	44,475	2341.8	− 2432	−90.2	× 144 / 581	−22.4
4	44,477	2390.8	− 2473	−82.2	× 150 / 581	−21.2
5	44,479	2441.8	− 2502	−60.2	× 133 / 581	−13.8
6	44,482	2501.7	− 2531	−29.3	× 154 / 581	−7.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−65

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,637	2338.9	− 2432	−93.1	× 135 / 558	−22.5
4	45,639	2372.4	− 2473	−100.6	× 142 / 558	−25.6
5	45,640	2420.7	− 2502	−81.3	× 149 / 558	−21.7
6	45,643	2480.5	− 2531	−50.5	× 132 / 558	−11.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−82

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,653	2355.1	− 2432	−76.9	× 157 / 583	−20.7
4	45,656	2393.9	− 2473	−79.1	× 131 / 583	−17.8
5	45,657	2411.9	− 2502	−90.1	× 140 / 583	−21.6
6	45,660	2464.1	− 2531	−66.9	× 155 / 583	−17.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−78

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,830	2359.2	− 2432	−72.8	× 122 / 556	−16
4	45,831	2400.3	− 2473	−72.7	× 155 / 556	−20.3
5	45,832	2436.4	− 2502	−65.6	× 128 / 556	−15.1
6	45,833	2475.2	− 2531	−55.8	× 151 / 556	−15.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−66

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,638	2344.1	− 2432	−87.9	× 106 / 481	−19.4
4	45,639	2377.3	− 2473	−95.7	× 128 / 481	−25.5
5	45,640	2435.3	− 2502	−66.7	× 134 / 481	−18.6
6	45,641	2464.8	− 2531	−66.2	× 113 / 481	−15.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−79

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,620	2351.0	− 2432	−81	× 128 / 493	−21
4	45,621	2380.7	− 2473	−92.3	× 111 / 493	−20.8
5	45,622	2403.4	− 2502	−98.6	× 123 / 493	−24.6
6	45,623	2467.4	− 2531	−63.6	× 131 / 493	−16.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−83

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,479	2343.7	− 2432	−88.3	× 108 / 462	−20.6
4	45,480	2383.0	− 2473	−90	× 128 / 462	−24.9
5	45,481	2397.9	− 2502	−104.1	× 104 / 462	−23.4
6	45,482	2439.1	− 2531	−91.9	× 122 / 462	−24.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−93

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,243	2354.6	− 2432	−77.4	× 99 / 443	−17.3
4	45,244	2384.9	− 2473	−88.1	× 113 / 443	−22.5
5	45,245	2397.0	− 2502	−105	× 126 / 443	−29.9
6	45,246	2445.2	− 2531	−85.8	× 105 / 443	−20.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−90

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,137	2358.4	− 2432	−73.6	× 101 / 442	−16.8
4	45,138	2367.8	− 2473	−105.2	× 104 / 442	−24.8
5	45,139	2427.6	− 2502	−74.4	× 109 / 442	−18.3
6	45,140	2449.0	− 2531	−82	× 128 / 442	−23.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−84

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −65, −65, −82, −78, −66, −79, −83, −93, −90, −84 → −78.5
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 0 · 2016→2017: 17 · 2017→2018: 4 · 2018→2019: 12 · 2019→2022: 13 · 2022→2023: 4 · 2023→2024: 10 · 2024→2025: 3 · 2025→2026: 6 → 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 −58, lower limit −99.

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.