Mojave River Academy: 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 11.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 82 points under the grade 3 bar. 2350 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 44 points under the grade 3 bar. 2388 vs. 2432. The 4th-grade bar is 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores 26 points under the grade 3 bar. 2407 vs. 2432. The 5th-grade bar is 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores 35 points under the grade 4 bar. 2438 vs. 2473. The 6th-grade bar is 2531.
7th The average 7th grader scores just under the grade 4 bar. 2465 vs. 2473. The 7th-grade bar is 2552.
8th The average 8th grader scores 26 points under the grade 5 bar. 2476 vs. 2502. The 8th-grade bar is 2567.
11th The average 11th grader scores just under the grade 5 bar. 2502 vs. 2502. The 11th-grade bar is 2583.

2018 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	66,896	2343.5	− 2432	−88.5	× 19 / 566	−3
4	66,899	2382.1	− 2473	−90.9	× 25 / 566	−4
5	66,900	2430.9	− 2502	−71.1	× 21 / 566	−2.6
6	66,903	2464.1	− 2531	−66.9	× 33 / 566	−3.9
7	66,904	2477.5	− 2552	−74.5	× 70 / 566	−9.2
8	66,907	2490.2	− 2567	−76.8	× 97 / 566	−13.2
11	66,908	2498.3	− 2583	−84.7	× 301 / 566	−45
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−81

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,051	2340.4	− 2432	−91.6	× 14 / 693	−1.9
4	62,053	2378.1	− 2473	−94.9	× 24 / 693	−3.3
5	62,056	2410.4	− 2502	−91.6	× 24 / 693	−3.2
6	62,057	2434.9	− 2531	−96.1	× 48 / 693	−6.7
7	62,059	2474.3	− 2552	−77.7	× 90 / 693	−10.1
8	62,062	2490.1	− 2567	−76.9	× 142 / 693	−15.8
11	62,063	2511.6	− 2583	−71.4	× 351 / 693	−36.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−77

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	63,838	2321.8	− 2432	−110.2	× 22 / 715	−3.4
4	63,839	2388.8	− 2473	−84.2	× 21 / 715	−2.5
5	63,842	2411.9	− 2502	−90.1	× 37 / 715	−4.7
6	63,844	2451.3	− 2531	−79.7	× 61 / 715	−6.8
7	63,846	2468.2	− 2552	−83.8	× 79 / 715	−9.3
8	63,848	2495.7	− 2567	−71.3	× 125 / 715	−12.5
11	63,849	2526.1	− 2583	−56.9	× 370 / 715	−29.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−68

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	63,942	2349.7	− 2432	−82.3	× 34 / 903	−3.1
4	63,945	2388.0	− 2473	−85	× 33 / 903	−3.1
5	63,946	2406.5	− 2502	−95.5	× 45 / 903	−4.8
6	63,949	2438.1	− 2531	−92.9	× 105 / 903	−10.8
7	63,950	2464.9	− 2552	−87.1	× 141 / 903	−13.6
8	63,953	2476.2	− 2567	−90.8	× 159 / 903	−16
11	63,954	2501.9	− 2583	−81.1	× 386 / 903	−34.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−86

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −81, −77, −68, −86 → −78
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: 9 · 2017→2018: 18 → average 10.3
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 10.3 × 2.66 = 27.4. Upper limit −50.6, lower limit −105.4.

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".

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.