C L Smith Elementary: 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.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores just under the grade 3 bar. 2432 vs. 2432.
4th The average 4th grader meets the grade 4 bar. 2493 vs. 2473.
5th The average 5th grader meets the grade 5 bar. 2522 vs. 2502.
6th The average 6th grader meets the grade 6 bar. 2580 vs. 2531.

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.

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	81,921	2384.3	− 2432	−47.7	× 56 / 204	−13.1
4	81,922	2420.1	− 2473	−52.9	× 50 / 204	−13
5	81,925	2497.5	− 2502	−4.5	× 38 / 204	−0.8
6	81,926	2522.7	− 2531	−8.3	× 60 / 204	−2.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−29

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	75,966	2428.7	− 2432	−3.3	× 53 / 175	−1
4	75,968	2428.0	− 2473	−45	× 38 / 175	−9.8
5	75,970	2471.3	− 2502	−30.7	× 49 / 175	−8.6
6	75,973	2551.5	− 2531	20.5	× 35 / 175	4.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−15

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,003	2388.8	− 2432	−43.2	× 59 / 193	−13.2
4	78,006	2460.8	− 2473	−12.2	× 40 / 193	−2.5
5	78,007	2470.8	− 2502	−31.2	× 37 / 193	−6
6	78,010	2525.8	− 2531	−5.2	× 57 / 193	−1.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−23

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,159	2436.6	− 2432	4.6	× 44 / 184	1.1
4	78,160	2414.9	− 2473	−58.1	× 58 / 184	−18.3
5	78,163	2490.2	− 2502	−11.8	× 42 / 184	−2.7
6	78,164	2542.9	− 2531	11.9	× 40 / 184	2.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−17

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,684	2449.3	− 2432	17.3	× 46 / 191	4.2
4	78,685	2464.2	− 2473	−8.8	× 44 / 191	−2
5	78,686	2475.2	− 2502	−26.8	× 57 / 191	−8
6	78,687	2585.3	− 2531	54.3	× 44 / 191	12.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						7

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	77,245	2438.8	− 2432	6.8	× 39 / 180	1.5
4	77,246	2478.1	− 2473	5.1	× 55 / 180	1.6
5	77,247	2470.7	− 2502	−31.3	× 41 / 180	−7.1
6	77,248	2520.2	− 2531	−10.8	× 45 / 180	−2.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−7

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,952	2451.1	− 2432	19.1	× 65 / 218	5.7
4	78,953	2491.0	− 2473	18	× 54 / 218	4.5
5	78,954	2506.8	− 2502	4.8	× 54 / 218	1.2
6	78,955	2543.4	− 2531	12.4	× 45 / 218	2.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						14

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,934	2437.7	− 2432	5.7	× 67 / 245	1.6
4	78,935	2472.8	− 2473	−0.2	× 63 / 245	−0.1
5	78,936	2528.1	− 2502	26.1	× 57 / 245	6.1
6	78,937	2554.8	− 2531	23.8	× 58 / 245	5.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						13

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,960	2442.1	− 2432	10.1	× 63 / 244	2.6
4	78,961	2501.8	− 2473	28.8	× 61 / 244	7.2
5	78,962	2555.9	− 2502	53.9	× 64 / 244	14.1
6	78,963	2572.1	− 2531	41.1	× 56 / 244	9.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						33

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,638	2455.7	− 2432	23.7	× 69 / 268	6.1
4	78,639	2499.8	− 2473	26.8	× 59 / 268	5.9
5	78,640	2552.8	− 2502	50.8	× 71 / 268	13.5
6	78,641	2574.0	− 2531	43	× 69 / 268	11.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						37

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	78,558	2431.6	− 2432	−0.4	× 64 / 263	−0.1
4	78,559	2492.6	− 2473	19.6	× 65 / 263	4.8
5	78,560	2522.3	− 2502	20.3	× 60 / 263	4.6
6	78,561	2579.7	− 2531	48.7	× 74 / 263	13.7
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. −29, −15, −23, −17, 7, −7, 14, 13, 33, 37, 23 → 3.3
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 14 · 2016→2017: 8 · 2017→2018: 6 · 2018→2019: 24 · 2019→2021: 14 · 2021→2022: 21 · 2022→2023: 1 · 2023→2024: 20 · 2024→2025: 4 · 2025→2026: 14 → average 12.6
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 12.6 × 2.66 = 33.5. Upper limit 36.8, lower limit −30.2.

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".

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.