Howard Cattle 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 just under the grade 3 bar. 2430 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 25 points under the grade 4 bar. 2448 vs. 2473.
5th The average 5th grader meets the grade 5 bar. 2519 vs. 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores 25 points under the grade 6 bar. 2506 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	65,182	2387.9	− 2432	−44.1	× 99 / 412	−10.6
4	65,185	2467.3	− 2473	−5.7	× 101 / 412	−1.4
5	65,186	2506.4	− 2502	4.4	× 102 / 412	1.1
6	65,189	2526.9	− 2531	−4.1	× 110 / 412	−1.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−12

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	60,443	2391.5	− 2432	−40.5	× 105 / 399	−10.7
4	60,445	2437.9	− 2473	−35.1	× 95 / 399	−8.4
5	60,447	2518.6	− 2502	16.6	× 97 / 399	4
6	60,450	2530.3	− 2531	−0.7	× 102 / 399	−0.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−15

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,196	2406.8	− 2432	−25.2	× 108 / 409	−6.7
4	62,198	2445.4	− 2473	−27.6	× 100 / 409	−6.7
5	62,200	2469.1	− 2502	−32.9	× 103 / 409	−8.3
6	62,201	2541.9	− 2531	10.9	× 98 / 409	2.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−19

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,276	2426.1	− 2432	−5.9	× 109 / 425	−1.5
4	62,278	2451.4	− 2473	−21.6	× 105 / 425	−5.3
5	62,280	2499.6	− 2502	−2.4	× 104 / 425	−0.6
6	62,282	2501.4	− 2531	−29.6	× 107 / 425	−7.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−15

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,550	2432.9	− 2432	0.9	× 109 / 421	0.2
4	62,551	2459.3	− 2473	−13.7	× 108 / 421	−3.5
5	62,552	2491.0	− 2502	−11	× 104 / 421	−2.7
6	62,553	2524.0	− 2531	−7	× 100 / 421	−1.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−8

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,619	2411.2	− 2432	−20.8	× 70 / 317	−4.6
4	62,620	2466.2	− 2473	−6.8	× 62 / 317	−1.3
5	62,621	2503.5	− 2502	1.5	× 89 / 317	0.4
6	62,622	2510.0	− 2531	−21	× 96 / 317	−6.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−12

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,565	2410.2	− 2432	−21.8	× 78 / 301	−5.6
4	62,566	2453.5	− 2473	−19.5	× 71 / 301	−4.6
5	62,567	2496.7	− 2502	−5.3	× 67 / 301	−1.2
6	62,568	2513.3	− 2531	−17.7	× 85 / 301	−5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−16

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,518	2425.5	− 2432	−6.5	× 77 / 295	−1.7
4	62,519	2437.1	− 2473	−35.9	× 76 / 295	−9.2
5	62,520	2492.5	− 2502	−9.5	× 73 / 295	−2.4
6	62,521	2524.0	− 2531	−7	× 69 / 295	−1.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−15

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,287	2397.5	− 2432	−34.5	× 84 / 307	−9.4
4	62,288	2475.0	− 2473	2	× 78 / 307	0.5
5	62,289	2468.7	− 2502	−33.3	× 76 / 307	−8.2
6	62,290	2489.8	− 2531	−41.2	× 69 / 307	−9.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−26

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,260	2430.4	− 2432	−1.6	× 67 / 311	−0.3
4	62,261	2447.6	− 2473	−25.4	× 78 / 311	−6.4
5	62,262	2518.8	− 2502	16.8	× 86 / 311	4.6
6	62,263	2505.9	− 2531	−25.1	× 80 / 311	−6.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−9

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −12, −15, −19, −15, −8, −12, −16, −15, −26, −9 → −14.7
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 3 · 2016→2017: 4 · 2017→2018: 4 · 2018→2019: 7 · 2019→2022: 4 · 2022→2023: 4 · 2023→2024: 1 · 2024→2025: 11 · 2025→2026: 17 → average 6.1
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 6.1 × 2.66 = 16.2. Upper limit 1.5, lower limit −30.9.

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.