San Luis Obispo: 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	81,470	2414.1	− 2432	−17.9	× 2519 / 17633	−2.6
4	81,473	2462.2	− 2473	−10.8	× 2486 / 17633	−1.5
5	81,474	2504.2	− 2502	2.2	× 2629 / 17633	0.3
6	81,477	2529.9	− 2531	−1.1	× 2581 / 17633	−0.2
7	81,478	2546.3	− 2552	−5.7	× 2421 / 17633	−0.8
8	81,480	2562.3	− 2567	−4.7	× 2507 / 17633	−0.7
11	81,483	2589.0	− 2583	6	× 2490 / 17633	0.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−5

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	75,522	2427.5	− 2432	−4.5	× 2618 / 17864	−0.7
4	75,524	2471.1	− 2473	−1.9	× 2532 / 17864	−0.3
5	75,527	2510.5	− 2502	8.5	× 2514 / 17864	1.2
6	75,529	2539.6	− 2531	8.6	× 2627 / 17864	1.3
7	75,530	2562.2	− 2552	10.2	× 2585 / 17864	1.5
8	75,533	2571.7	− 2567	4.7	× 2430 / 17864	0.6
11	75,535	2589.7	− 2583	6.7	× 2558 / 17864	1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						5

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	77,541	2426.0	− 2432	−6	× 2450 / 17974	−0.8
4	77,544	2470.9	− 2473	−2.1	× 2633 / 17974	−0.3
5	77,546	2507.1	− 2502	5.1	× 2526 / 17974	0.7
6	77,547	2541.9	− 2531	10.9	× 2591 / 17974	1.6
7	77,549	2561.4	− 2552	9.4	× 2627 / 17974	1.4
8	77,552	2577.0	− 2567	10	× 2539 / 17974	1.4
11	77,554	2606.2	− 2583	23.2	× 2608 / 17974	3.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						7

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	77,726	2437.1	− 2432	5.1	× 2347 / 17757	0.7
4	77,729	2472.6	− 2473	−0.4	× 2454 / 17757	−0.1
5	77,730	2508.7	− 2502	6.7	× 2624 / 17757	1
6	77,733	2538.8	− 2531	7.8	× 2535 / 17757	1.1
7	77,734	2560.6	− 2552	8.6	× 2561 / 17757	1.2
8	77,737	2571.1	− 2567	4.1	× 2634 / 17757	0.6
11	77,738	2595.0	− 2583	12	× 2602 / 17757	1.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						6

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,254	2437.7	− 2432	5.7	× 2464 / 17526	0.8
4	78,255	2480.1	− 2473	7.1	× 2352 / 17526	1
5	78,256	2513.5	− 2502	11.5	× 2448 / 17526	1.6
6	78,257	2544.1	− 2531	13.1	× 2641 / 17526	2
7	78,258	2567.6	− 2552	15.6	× 2562 / 17526	2.3
8	78,259	2580.8	− 2567	13.8	× 2509 / 17526	2
11	78,260	2597.9	− 2583	14.9	× 2550 / 17526	2.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						12

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	76,801	2429.7	− 2432	−2.3	× 548 / 4733	−0.3
4	76,802	2487.7	− 2473	14.7	× 659 / 4733	2
5	76,803	2515.4	− 2502	13.4	× 663 / 4733	1.9
6	76,804	2540.3	− 2531	9.3	× 632 / 4733	1.2
7	76,805	2570.8	− 2552	18.8	× 572 / 4733	2.3
8	76,806	2597.1	− 2567	30.1	× 577 / 4733	3.7
11	76,807	2596.0	− 2583	13	× 1082 / 4733	3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						14

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,484	2420.2	− 2432	−11.8	× 2201 / 16315	−1.6
4	78,485	2466.2	− 2473	−6.8	× 2268 / 16315	−0.9
5	78,486	2499.2	− 2502	−2.8	× 2386 / 16315	−0.4
6	78,487	2532.4	− 2531	1.4	× 2375 / 16315	0.2
7	78,488	2558.9	− 2552	6.9	× 2243 / 16315	0.9
8	78,489	2565.2	− 2567	−1.8	× 2371 / 16315	−0.3
11	78,490	2592.1	− 2583	9.1	× 2471 / 16315	1.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−1

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,484	2425.1	− 2432	−6.9	× 2180 / 16237	−0.9
4	78,485	2466.8	− 2473	−6.2	× 2204 / 16237	−0.8
5	78,486	2505.5	− 2502	3.5	× 2266 / 16237	0.5
6	78,487	2525.2	− 2531	−5.8	× 2416 / 16237	−0.9
7	78,488	2556.8	− 2552	4.8	× 2369 / 16237	0.7
8	78,489	2561.4	− 2567	−5.6	× 2242 / 16237	−0.8
11	78,490	2597.9	− 2583	14.9	× 2560 / 16237	2.3
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	78,516	2426.3	− 2432	−5.7	× 2219 / 16490	−0.8
4	78,517	2470.6	− 2473	−2.4	× 2248 / 16490	−0.3
5	78,518	2506.6	− 2502	4.6	× 2255 / 16490	0.6
6	78,519	2530.7	− 2531	−0.3	× 2289 / 16490	0
7	78,520	2549.1	− 2552	−2.9	× 2413 / 16490	−0.4
8	78,521	2565.6	− 2567	−1.4	× 2364 / 16490	−0.2
11	78,522	2586.1	− 2583	3.1	× 2702 / 16490	0.5
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	78,188	2423.3	− 2432	−8.7	× 2210 / 16439	−1.2
4	78,189	2471.1	− 2473	−1.9	× 2268 / 16439	−0.3
5	78,190	2511.0	− 2502	9	× 2297 / 16439	1.3
6	78,191	2542.3	− 2531	11.3	× 2291 / 16439	1.6
7	78,192	2560.9	− 2552	8.9	× 2322 / 16439	1.3
8	78,193	2568.1	− 2567	1.1	× 2419 / 16439	0.2
11	78,194	2604.7	− 2583	21.7	× 2632 / 16439	3.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						6

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,092	2422.8	− 2432	−9.2	× 2172 / 16074	−1.2
4	78,093	2471.7	− 2473	−1.3	× 2246 / 16074	−0.2
5	78,094	2510.9	− 2502	8.9	× 2294 / 16074	1.3
6	78,095	2538.2	− 2531	7.2	× 2321 / 16074	1
7	78,096	2563.0	− 2552	11	× 2283 / 16074	1.6
8	78,097	2575.5	− 2567	8.5	× 2333 / 16074	1.2
11	78,098	2603.6	− 2583	20.6	× 2425 / 16074	3.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						7

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −5, 5, 7, 6, 12, 14, −1, 0, −1, 6, 7 → 4.5
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: 2 · 2017→2018: 1 · 2018→2019: 6 · 2019→2021: 2 · 2021→2022: 15 · 2022→2023: 1 · 2023→2024: 1 · 2024→2025: 7 · 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 16.7, lower limit −7.7.

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.