Orchard 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 43 points under the grade 3 bar. 2389 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 10 points under the grade 4 bar. 2463 vs. 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores 15 points under the grade 5 bar. 2487 vs. 2502.
6th The average 6th grader meets the grade 6 bar. 2534 vs. 2531.

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	63,463	2383.7	− 2432	−48.3	× 62 / 363	−8.2
4	63,464	2419.0	− 2473	−54	× 59 / 363	−8.8
5	63,467	2465.5	− 2502	−36.5	× 59 / 363	−5.9
6	63,469	2475.0	− 2531	−56	× 60 / 363	−9.3
7	63,470	2509.4	− 2552	−42.6	× 65 / 363	−7.6
8	63,473	2529.2	− 2567	−37.8	× 58 / 363	−6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−46

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	58,879	2365.4	− 2432	−66.6	× 52 / 344	−10.1
4	58,882	2412.5	− 2473	−60.5	× 58 / 344	−10.2
5	58,883	2490.5	− 2502	−11.5	× 60 / 344	−2
6	58,885	2492.2	− 2531	−38.8	× 58 / 344	−6.5
7	58,888	2504.7	− 2552	−47.3	× 56 / 344	−7.7
8	58,889	2541.2	− 2567	−25.8	× 60 / 344	−4.5
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	60,593	2384.1	− 2432	−47.9	× 63 / 353	−8.5
4	60,594	2418.1	− 2473	−54.9	× 51 / 353	−7.9
5	60,597	2470.4	− 2502	−31.6	× 68 / 353	−6.1
6	60,598	2508.4	− 2531	−22.6	× 65 / 353	−4.2
7	60,600	2492.8	− 2552	−59.2	× 51 / 353	−8.6
8	60,602	2515.8	− 2567	−51.2	× 55 / 353	−8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−43

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	60,717	2389.7	− 2432	−42.3	× 72 / 364	−8.4
4	60,720	2411.1	− 2473	−61.9	× 58 / 364	−9.9
5	60,722	2479.2	− 2502	−22.8	× 61 / 364	−3.8
6	60,724	2512.7	− 2531	−18.3	× 77 / 364	−3.9
7	60,725	2511.7	− 2552	−40.3	× 54 / 364	−6
8	60,728	2529.6	− 2567	−37.4	× 42 / 364	−4.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−36

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	60,964	2369.4	− 2432	−62.6	× 48 / 351	−8.6
4	60,965	2415.6	− 2473	−57.4	× 64 / 351	−10.5
5	60,966	2471.1	− 2502	−30.9	× 69 / 351	−6.1
6	60,967	2526.7	− 2531	−4.3	× 55 / 351	−0.7
7	60,968	2531.6	− 2552	−20.4	× 65 / 351	−3.8
8	60,969	2543.5	− 2567	−23.5	× 50 / 351	−3.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−33

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	61,068	2372.8	− 2432	−59.2	× 63 / 183	−20.4
4	61,069	2401.1	− 2473	−71.9	× 47 / 183	−18.5
5	61,070	2473.2	− 2502	−28.8	× 42 / 183	−6.6
6	61,071	2475.6	− 2531	−55.4	× 31 / 183	−9.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−55

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	61,015	2368.4	− 2432	−63.6	× 46 / 176	−16.6
4	61,016	2415.8	− 2473	−57.2	× 53 / 176	−17.2
5	61,017	2448.6	− 2502	−53.4	× 41 / 176	−12.4
6	61,018	2505.9	− 2531	−25.1	× 36 / 176	−5.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−51

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	60,960	2406.8	− 2432	−25.2	× 35 / 169	−5.2
4	60,961	2459.0	− 2473	−14	× 49 / 169	−4.1
5	60,962	2473.4	− 2502	−28.6	× 47 / 169	−8
6	60,963	2517.2	− 2531	−13.8	× 38 / 169	−3.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−20

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	60,729	2424.3	− 2432	−7.7	× 51 / 183	−2.1
4	60,730	2435.7	− 2473	−37.3	× 35 / 183	−7.1
5	60,731	2470.7	− 2502	−31.3	× 49 / 183	−8.4
6	60,732	2519.4	− 2531	−11.6	× 48 / 183	−3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−21

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	60,666	2389.3	− 2432	−42.7	× 40 / 158	−10.8
4	60,667	2462.9	− 2473	−10.1	× 42 / 158	−2.7
5	60,668	2487.4	− 2502	−14.6	× 31 / 158	−2.9
6	60,669	2533.5	− 2531	2.5	× 45 / 158	0.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−16

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −46, −41, −43, −36, −33, −55, −51, −20, −21, −16 → −36.2
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 5 · 2016→2017: 2 · 2017→2018: 7 · 2018→2019: 3 · 2019→2022: 22 · 2022→2023: 4 · 2023→2024: 31 · 2024→2025: 1 · 2025→2026: 5 → average 8.9
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 8.9 × 2.66 = 23.7. Upper limit −12.5, lower limit −59.9.

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.