Palmer Way: 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.

Many students here are still learning English, and this test is given in English. In 2026, 64 of the 198 students who took the English Language Arts test were English learners.

All students

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 21 points under the grade 3 bar. 2411 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader scores 21 points under the grade 4 bar. 2452 vs. 2473.
5th The average 5th grader meets the grade 5 bar. 2508 vs. 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores just under the grade 4 bar. 2473 vs. 2473. The 6th-grade bar is 2531.

Students fluent in English

The closest these results come to reading alone: English is not in the way. Includes students who have only ever spoken English.

Grade bars 3rd 27 students Meets the grade 3 bar. 4th 28 students Meets the grade 4 bar. 5th 41 students Meets the grade 5 bar. 6th 38 students Just under the grade 5 bar.

English learners

Students leave this group as they become fluent, so its average stays low even where they learn well.

Grade bars 3rd 31 students 58 points under the grade 3 bar. 4th 11 students 46 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 11 students Just under the grade 3 bar. 6th 11 students 58 points under the grade 3 bar.

the group's average that grade's own bar the distance between

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. The state leaves out any group of ten students or fewer, so a grade may be missing from the charts.

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	72,821	2391.5	− 2432	−40.5	× 71 / 320	−9
4	72,823	2474.1	− 2473	1.1	× 81 / 320	0.3
5	72,825	2522.7	− 2502	20.7	× 82 / 320	5.3
6	72,827	2539.6	− 2531	8.6	× 86 / 320	2.3
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	67,607	2440.0	− 2432	8	× 83 / 323	2.1
4	67,609	2465.0	− 2473	−8	× 80 / 323	−2
5	67,610	2494.0	− 2502	−8	× 84 / 323	−2.1
6	67,613	2552.6	− 2531	21.6	× 76 / 323	5.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						3

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	69,393	2428.6	− 2432	−3.4	× 71 / 317	−0.8
4	69,395	2503.6	− 2473	30.6	× 84 / 317	8.1
5	69,398	2486.2	− 2502	−15.8	× 75 / 317	−3.7
6	69,400	2529.3	− 2531	−1.7	× 87 / 317	−0.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						3

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	69,556	2446.8	− 2432	14.8	× 71 / 317	3.3
4	69,558	2482.7	− 2473	9.7	× 76 / 317	2.3
5	69,560	2518.3	− 2502	16.3	× 87 / 317	4.5
6	69,562	2537.8	− 2531	6.8	× 83 / 317	1.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						12

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	70,074	2447.4	− 2432	15.4	× 79 / 308	4
4	70,075	2497.9	− 2473	24.9	× 70 / 308	5.7
5	70,076	2476.1	− 2502	−25.9	× 74 / 308	−6.2
6	70,077	2554.4	− 2531	23.4	× 85 / 308	6.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						10

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	70,168	2378.4	− 2432	−53.6	× 61 / 274	−11.9
4	70,169	2460.1	− 2473	−12.9	× 58 / 274	−2.7
5	70,170	2464.2	− 2502	−37.8	× 76 / 274	−10.5
6	70,171	2518.1	− 2531	−12.9	× 79 / 274	−3.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−29

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	70,172	2374.4	− 2432	−57.6	× 50 / 227	−12.7
4	70,173	2467.5	− 2473	−5.5	× 59 / 227	−1.4
5	70,174	2467.9	− 2502	−34.1	× 47 / 227	−7.1
6	70,175	2493.3	− 2531	−37.7	× 71 / 227	−11.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−33

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	70,156	2431.3	− 2432	−0.7	× 59 / 220	−0.2
4	70,157	2429.1	− 2473	−43.9	× 52 / 220	−10.4
5	70,158	2475.7	− 2502	−26.3	× 59 / 220	−7.1
6	70,159	2492.6	− 2531	−38.4	× 50 / 220	−8.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−26

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	69,868	2431.4	− 2432	−0.6	× 41 / 208	−0.1
4	69,869	2499.2	− 2473	26.2	× 54 / 208	6.8
5	69,870	2432.3	− 2502	−69.7	× 52 / 208	−17.4
6	69,871	2502.9	− 2531	−28.1	× 61 / 208	−8.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−19

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	69,895	2410.7	− 2432	−21.3	× 58 / 198	−6.2
4	69,896	2452.2	− 2473	−20.8	× 39 / 198	−4.1
5	69,897	2507.8	− 2502	5.8	× 52 / 198	1.5
6	69,898	2472.8	− 2531	−58.2	× 49 / 198	−14.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−23

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −1, 3, 3, 12, 10, −29, −33, −26, −19, −23 → −10.3
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: 0 · 2017→2018: 9 · 2018→2019: 2 · 2019→2022: 39 · 2022→2023: 4 · 2023→2024: 7 · 2024→2025: 7 · 2025→2026: 4 → average 8.4
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 8.4 × 2.66 = 22.3. Upper limit 12, lower limit −32.6.

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.