Palo Alto Unified: english

The shaded band is this district'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	88,532	2488.4	− 2432	56.4	× 926 / 6037	8.7
4	88,534	2546.3	− 2473	73.3	× 1002 / 6037	12.2
5	88,536	2587.5	− 2502	85.5	× 996 / 6037	14.1
6	88,538	2601.4	− 2531	70.4	× 972 / 6037	11.3
7	88,540	2625.9	− 2552	73.9	× 920 / 6037	11.3
8	88,542	2646.7	− 2567	79.7	× 899 / 6037	11.9
11	88,544	2684.4	− 2583	101.4	× 322 / 6037	5.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						75

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	82,167	2489.4	− 2432	57.4	× 876 / 5988	8.4
4	82,170	2546.8	− 2473	73.8	× 920 / 5988	11.3
5	82,172	2595.1	− 2502	93.1	× 1025 / 5988	15.9
6	82,173	2613.3	− 2531	82.3	× 949 / 5988	13
7	82,175	2636.1	− 2552	84.1	× 983 / 5988	13.8
8	82,178	2649.5	− 2567	82.5	× 913 / 5988	12.6
11	82,180	2715.0	− 2583	132	× 322 / 5988	7.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						82

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	84,456	2480.7	− 2432	48.7	× 826 / 5730	7
4	84,458	2533.3	− 2473	60.3	× 897 / 5730	9.4
5	84,459	2580.9	− 2502	78.9	× 940 / 5730	12.9
6	84,461	2613.5	− 2531	82.5	× 986 / 5730	14.2
7	84,463	2637.8	− 2552	85.8	× 946 / 5730	14.2
8	84,466	2647.5	− 2567	80.5	× 955 / 5730	13.4
11	84,468	2686.9	− 2583	103.9	× 180 / 5730	3.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						74

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	84,672	2487.3	− 2432	55.3	× 819 / 5820	7.8
4	84,674	2533.8	− 2473	60.8	× 841 / 5820	8.8
5	84,676	2577.2	− 2502	75.2	× 894 / 5820	11.6
6	84,678	2607.1	− 2531	76.1	× 917 / 5820	12
7	84,680	2634.4	− 2552	82.4	× 986 / 5820	14
8	84,682	2645.1	− 2567	78.1	× 972 / 5820	13
11	84,684	2699.8	− 2583	116.8	× 391 / 5820	7.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						75

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	85,261	2482.0	− 2432	50	× 787 / 5860	6.7
4	85,262	2537.9	− 2473	64.9	× 839 / 5860	9.3
5	85,263	2582.8	− 2502	80.8	× 860 / 5860	11.9
6	85,264	2600.5	− 2531	69.5	× 862 / 5860	10.2
7	85,265	2639.4	− 2552	87.4	× 906 / 5860	13.5
8	85,266	2646.1	− 2567	79.1	× 995 / 5860	13.4
11	85,267	2694.1	− 2583	111.1	× 611 / 5860	11.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						77

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	83,473	2492.3	− 2432	60.3	× 678 / 4737	8.6
4	83,474	2535.8	− 2473	62.8	× 675 / 4737	8.9
5	83,475	2581.0	− 2502	79	× 737 / 4737	12.3
6	83,476	2594.8	− 2531	63.8	× 710 / 4737	9.6
7	83,477	2634.3	− 2552	82.3	× 734 / 4737	12.8
8	83,478	2653.7	− 2567	86.7	× 736 / 4737	13.5
11	83,479	2718.4	− 2583	135.4	× 467 / 4737	13.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						79

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	85,440	2495.0	− 2432	63	× 677 / 5034	8.5
4	85,441	2551.2	− 2473	78.2	× 719 / 5034	11.2
5	85,442	2585.5	− 2502	83.5	× 694 / 5034	11.5
6	85,443	2615.8	− 2531	84.8	× 736 / 5034	12.4
7	85,444	2635.2	− 2552	83.2	× 735 / 5034	12.1
8	85,445	2659.9	− 2567	92.9	× 784 / 5034	14.5
11	85,446	2706.2	− 2583	123.2	× 689 / 5034	16.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						87

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	85,379	2505.4	− 2432	73.4	× 659 / 5214	9.3
4	85,380	2545.7	− 2473	72.7	× 684 / 5214	9.5
5	85,381	2593.6	− 2502	91.6	× 744 / 5214	13.1
6	85,382	2611.9	− 2531	80.9	× 707 / 5214	11
7	85,383	2642.7	− 2552	90.7	× 765 / 5214	13.3
8	85,384	2652.9	− 2567	85.9	× 770 / 5214	12.7
11	85,385	2670.1	− 2583	87.1	× 885 / 5214	14.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						84

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	85,368	2499.6	− 2432	67.6	× 703 / 5211	9.1
4	85,369	2549.8	− 2473	76.8	× 690 / 5211	10.2
5	85,370	2585.0	− 2502	83	× 713 / 5211	11.4
6	85,371	2606.1	− 2531	75.1	× 770 / 5211	11.1
7	85,372	2636.0	− 2552	84	× 748 / 5211	12.1
8	85,373	2647.5	− 2567	80.5	× 794 / 5211	12.3
11	85,374	2663.6	− 2583	80.6	× 793 / 5211	12.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						78

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	85,060	2499.6	− 2432	67.6	× 697 / 5170	9.1
4	85,061	2554.6	− 2473	81.6	× 712 / 5170	11.2
5	85,062	2595.7	− 2502	93.7	× 698 / 5170	12.7
6	85,063	2613.8	− 2531	82.8	× 713 / 5170	11.4
7	85,064	2645.1	− 2552	93.1	× 769 / 5170	13.8
8	85,065	2661.0	− 2567	94	× 755 / 5170	13.7
11	85,066	2677.6	− 2583	94.6	× 826 / 5170	15.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						87

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	84,831	2497.5	− 2432	65.5	× 654 / 5093	8.4
4	84,832	2546.1	− 2473	73.1	× 717 / 5093	10.3
5	84,833	2595.4	− 2502	93.4	× 738 / 5093	13.5
6	84,834	2609.2	− 2531	78.2	× 726 / 5093	11.1
7	84,835	2644.6	− 2552	92.6	× 732 / 5093	13.3
8	84,836	2656.8	− 2567	89.8	× 780 / 5093	13.8
11	84,837	2682.3	− 2583	99.3	× 746 / 5093	14.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						85

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. 75, 82, 74, 75, 77, 79, 87, 84, 78, 87, 85 → 80.3
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 7 · 2016→2017: 8 · 2017→2018: 1 · 2018→2019: 2 · 2019→2021: 2 · 2021→2022: 8 · 2022→2023: 3 · 2023→2024: 6 · 2024→2025: 9 · 2025→2026: 2 → average 4.8
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 4.8 × 2.66 = 12.8. Upper limit 93.1, lower limit 67.5.

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 district, 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.

Palo Alto Unified