America's Finest Charter: 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 8.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 61 points under the grade 3 bar. 2371 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader meets the grade 4 bar. 2474 vs. 2473.
5th The average 5th grader scores 25 points under the grade 5 bar. 2477 vs. 2502.
6th The average 6th grader scores 24 points under the grade 6 bar. 2507 vs. 2531.
7th The average 7th grader scores 16 points under the grade 7 bar. 2536 vs. 2552.
8th The average 8th grader scores 10 points under the grade 6 bar. 2521 vs. 2531. The 8th-grade bar is 2567.

2017 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	73,750	2489.4	− 2432	57.4	× 37 / 160	13.3
4	73,752	2471.7	− 2473	−1.3	× 35 / 160	−0.3
5	73,754	2501.5	− 2502	−0.5	× 19 / 160	−0.1
6	73,756	2488.2	− 2531	−42.8	× 19 / 160	−5.1
7	73,758	2533.0	− 2552	−19	× 25 / 160	−3
8	73,760	2529.5	− 2567	−37.5	× 25 / 160	−5.9
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	68,423	2441.6	− 2432	9.6	× 37 / 196	1.8
4	68,424	2471.6	− 2473	−1.4	× 40 / 196	−0.3
5	68,427	2486.9	− 2502	−15.1	× 41 / 196	−3.2
6	68,428	2492.1	− 2531	−38.9	× 29 / 196	−5.8
7	68,430	2521.9	− 2552	−30.1	× 21 / 196	−3.2
8	68,433	2562.9	− 2567	−4.1	× 28 / 196	−0.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−11

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	70,246	2371.4	− 2432	−60.6	× 44 / 221	−12.1
4	70,247	2474.3	− 2473	1.3	× 36 / 221	0.2
5	70,249	2477.4	− 2502	−24.6	× 40 / 221	−4.5
6	70,251	2506.7	− 2531	−24.3	× 48 / 221	−5.3
7	70,254	2535.8	− 2552	−16.2	× 33 / 221	−2.4
8	70,255	2521.4	− 2567	−45.6	× 20 / 221	−4.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−28

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −1, −11, −28 → −13.3
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: 17 → average 13.5
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 13.5 × 2.66 = 35.9. Upper limit 22.6, lower limit −49.2.

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.