Hamilton 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 5.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 72 points under the grade 3 bar. 2360 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 29 points under the grade 3 bar. 2403 vs. 2432. The 4th-grade bar is 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores 23 points under the grade 4 bar. 2450 vs. 2473. The 5th-grade bar is 2502.

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.

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	56,472	2378.6	− 2432	−53.4	× 47 / 279	−9
4	56,474	2429.1	− 2473	−43.9	× 47 / 279	−7.4
5	56,476	2451.8	− 2502	−50.2	× 51 / 279	−9.2
6	56,478	2494.8	− 2531	−36.2	× 41 / 279	−5.3
7	56,480	2528.0	− 2552	−24	× 43 / 279	−3.7
8	56,482	2517.7	− 2567	−49.3	× 50 / 279	−8.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−43

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	52,443	2387.5	− 2432	−44.5	× 39 / 274	−6.3
4	52,445	2422.0	− 2473	−51	× 43 / 274	−8
5	52,448	2473.2	− 2502	−28.8	× 43 / 274	−4.5
6	52,450	2476.4	− 2531	−54.6	× 54 / 274	−10.8
7	52,452	2507.0	− 2552	−45	× 46 / 274	−7.6
8	52,453	2545.2	− 2567	−21.8	× 49 / 274	−3.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−41

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	53,942	2392.6	− 2432	−39.4	× 47 / 265	−7
4	53,944	2404.9	− 2473	−68.1	× 35 / 265	−9
5	53,947	2414.9	− 2502	−87.1	× 42 / 265	−13.8
6	53,949	2487.4	− 2531	−43.6	× 42 / 265	−6.9
7	53,951	2503.6	− 2552	−48.4	× 52 / 265	−9.5
8	53,952	2502.4	− 2567	−64.6	× 47 / 265	−11.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−58

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	54,042	2384.0	− 2432	−48	× 45 / 272	−7.9
4	54,044	2443.0	− 2473	−30	× 48 / 272	−5.3
5	54,046	2461.6	− 2502	−40.4	× 35 / 272	−5.2
6	54,048	2450.7	− 2531	−80.3	× 45 / 272	−13.3
7	54,050	2496.5	− 2552	−55.5	× 45 / 272	−9.2
8	54,052	2511.6	− 2567	−55.4	× 54 / 272	−11
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−52

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	54,276	2361.9	− 2432	−70.1	× 53 / 270	−13.8
4	54,277	2434.1	− 2473	−38.9	× 45 / 270	−6.5
5	54,278	2489.1	− 2502	−12.9	× 48 / 270	−2.3
6	54,279	2463.8	− 2531	−67.2	× 35 / 270	−8.7
7	54,280	2498.0	− 2552	−54	× 43 / 270	−8.6
8	54,281	2520.1	− 2567	−46.9	× 46 / 270	−8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−48

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	54,338	2338.1	− 2432	−93.9	× 42 / 128	−30.8
4	54,339	2407.6	− 2473	−65.4	× 49 / 128	−25
5	54,340	2462.5	− 2502	−39.5	× 37 / 128	−11.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−67

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	54,281	2357.9	− 2432	−74.1	× 53 / 158	−24.9
4	54,282	2405.6	− 2473	−67.4	× 51 / 158	−21.8
5	54,283	2456.1	− 2502	−45.9	× 54 / 158	−15.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−62

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	54,149	2395.4	− 2432	−36.6	× 47 / 162	−10.6
4	54,150	2409.9	− 2473	−63.1	× 53 / 162	−20.6
5	54,151	2432.8	− 2502	−69.2	× 62 / 162	−26.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−58

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	53,885	2371.1	− 2432	−60.9	× 67 / 171	−23.9
4	53,886	2413.1	− 2473	−59.9	× 49 / 171	−17.2
5	53,887	2463.5	− 2502	−38.5	× 55 / 171	−12.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−53

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	53,822	2359.6	− 2432	−72.4	× 56 / 180	−22.5
4	53,823	2402.9	− 2473	−70.1	× 71 / 180	−27.7
5	53,824	2449.6	− 2502	−52.4	× 53 / 180	−15.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−66

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −43, −41, −58, −52, −48, −67, −62, −58, −53, −66 → −54.8
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 2 · 2016→2017: 17 · 2017→2018: 6 · 2018→2019: 4 · 2019→2022: 19 · 2022→2023: 5 · 2023→2024: 4 · 2024→2025: 5 · 2025→2026: 13 → average 8.3
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 8.3 × 2.66 = 22.1. Upper limit −32.7, lower limit −76.9.

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.