San Diego: english

The shaded band is this county'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.

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	69,865	2420.1	− 2432	−11.9	× 37522 / 251417	−1.8
4	69,866	2463.5	− 2473	−9.5	× 36933 / 251417	−1.4
5	69,869	2505.3	− 2502	3.3	× 36369 / 251417	0.5
6	69,870	2529.9	− 2531	−1.1	× 36082 / 251417	−0.2
7	69,873	2546.1	− 2552	−5.9	× 35300 / 251417	−0.8
8	69,874	2564.6	− 2567	−2.4	× 35675 / 251417	−0.3
11	69,877	2602.1	− 2583	19.1	× 33536 / 251417	2.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−1

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	64,766	2432.3	− 2432	0.3	× 36754 / 254787	0
4	64,767	2474.7	− 2473	1.7	× 37627 / 254787	0.3
5	64,769	2514.2	− 2502	12.2	× 36984 / 254787	1.8
6	64,772	2537.7	− 2531	6.7	× 36521 / 254787	1
7	64,773	2559.8	− 2552	7.8	× 36219 / 254787	1.1
8	64,776	2574.3	− 2567	7.3	× 35441 / 254787	1
11	64,777	2611.8	− 2583	28.8	× 35241 / 254787	4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						9

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	66,589	2431.8	− 2432	−0.2	× 35613 / 255522	0
4	66,591	2473.1	− 2473	0.1	× 36607 / 255522	0
5	66,594	2509.4	− 2502	7.4	× 37688 / 255522	1.1
6	66,596	2535.4	− 2531	4.4	× 36958 / 255522	0.6
7	66,597	2558.7	− 2552	6.7	× 36334 / 255522	1
8	66,599	2574.6	− 2567	7.6	× 36125 / 255522	1.1
11	66,601	2614.0	− 2583	31	× 36197 / 255522	4.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						8

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	66,658	2438.1	− 2432	6.1	× 34750 / 255816	0.8
4	66,659	2479.9	− 2473	6.9	× 35782 / 255816	1
5	66,662	2513.0	− 2502	11	× 37001 / 255816	1.6
6	66,663	2535.9	− 2531	4.9	× 38009 / 255816	0.7
7	66,666	2558.1	− 2552	6.1	× 37260 / 255816	0.9
8	66,667	2571.4	− 2567	4.4	× 36715 / 255816	0.6
11	66,670	2604.9	− 2583	21.9	× 36299 / 255816	3.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						9

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	67,084	2438.6	− 2432	6.6	× 35862 / 255058	0.9
4	67,085	2480.2	− 2473	7.2	× 34862 / 255058	1
5	67,086	2518.4	− 2502	16.4	× 35967 / 255058	2.3
6	67,087	2538.1	− 2531	7.1	× 37057 / 255058	1
7	67,088	2562.1	− 2552	10.1	× 37911 / 255058	1.5
8	67,089	2573.9	− 2567	6.9	× 37172 / 255058	1
11	67,090	2604.0	− 2583	21	× 36227 / 255058	3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						11

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	65,683	2406.8	− 2432	−25.2	× 4406 / 45897	−2.4
4	65,684	2452.0	− 2473	−21	× 4350 / 45897	−2
5	65,685	2492.0	− 2502	−10	× 4337 / 45897	−0.9
6	65,686	2513.6	− 2531	−17.4	× 4303 / 45897	−1.6
7	65,687	2545.7	− 2552	−6.3	× 6966 / 45897	−1
8	65,688	2553.5	− 2567	−13.5	× 7507 / 45897	−2.2
11	65,689	2600.5	− 2583	17.5	× 14028 / 45897	5.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−5

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	67,180	2425.4	− 2432	−6.6	× 33492 / 238896	−0.9
4	67,181	2469.7	− 2473	−3.3	× 34234 / 238896	−0.5
5	67,182	2508.6	− 2502	6.6	× 34589 / 238896	1
6	67,183	2528.1	− 2531	−2.9	× 34343 / 238896	−0.4
7	67,184	2554.7	− 2552	2.7	× 33173 / 238896	0.4
8	67,185	2564.5	− 2567	−2.5	× 34270 / 238896	−0.4
11	67,186	2601.5	− 2583	18.5	× 34795 / 238896	2.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						2

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	67,190	2426.3	− 2432	−5.7	× 33621 / 238278	−0.8
4	67,191	2467.9	− 2473	−5.1	× 33635 / 238278	−0.7
5	67,192	2506.1	− 2502	4.1	× 34107 / 238278	0.6
6	67,193	2525.7	− 2531	−5.3	× 34215 / 238278	−0.8
7	67,194	2550.8	− 2552	−1.2	× 33832 / 238278	−0.2
8	67,195	2561.0	− 2567	−6	× 32984 / 238278	−0.8
11	67,196	2602.3	− 2583	19.3	× 35884 / 238278	2.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						0

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	67,176	2425.0	− 2432	−7	× 32931 / 237203	−1
4	67,177	2467.6	− 2473	−5.4	× 33804 / 237203	−0.8
5	67,178	2506.7	− 2502	4.7	× 33752 / 237203	0.7
6	67,179	2527.7	− 2531	−3.3	× 33870 / 237203	−0.5
7	67,180	2548.6	− 2552	−3.4	× 33870 / 237203	−0.5
8	67,181	2557.3	− 2567	−9.7	× 33630 / 237203	−1.4
11	67,182	2601.4	− 2583	18.4	× 35346 / 237203	2.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−1

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	66,928	2428.8	− 2432	−3.2	× 33335 / 237200	−0.4
4	66,929	2471.1	− 2473	−1.9	× 33377 / 237200	−0.3
5	66,930	2511.4	− 2502	9.4	× 34108 / 237200	1.4
6	66,931	2532.8	− 2531	1.8	× 33723 / 237200	0.3
7	66,932	2553.1	− 2552	1.1	× 33966 / 237200	0.2
8	66,933	2563.9	− 2567	−3.1	× 33961 / 237200	−0.4
11	66,934	2605.5	− 2583	22.5	× 34730 / 237200	3.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						4

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	66,907	2424.0	− 2432	−8	× 32426 / 234524	−1.1
4	66,908	2468.5	− 2473	−4.5	× 33459 / 234524	−0.6
5	66,909	2510.2	− 2502	8.2	× 33596 / 234524	1.2
6	66,910	2530.6	− 2531	−0.4	× 33972 / 234524	−0.1
7	66,911	2555.6	− 2552	3.6	× 33532 / 234524	0.5
8	66,912	2564.3	− 2567	−2.7	× 33870 / 234524	−0.4
11	66,913	2604.5	− 2583	21.5	× 33669 / 234524	3.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						3

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −1, 9, 8, 9, 11, −5, 2, 0, −1, 4, 3 → 3.5
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 10 · 2016→2017: 1 · 2017→2018: 1 · 2018→2019: 2 · 2019→2021: 16 · 2021→2022: 7 · 2022→2023: 2 · 2023→2024: 1 · 2024→2025: 5 · 2025→2026: 1 → average 4.6
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 4.6 × 2.66 = 12.2. Upper limit 15.7, lower limit −8.7.

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 — for a county, the total across its schools. From 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26.