Helm Elementary: math

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 math 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 10 points under the grade 3 bar. 2426 vs. 2436.
8th The average 8th grader scores 18 points under the grade 6 bar. 2534 vs. 2552. The 8th-grade bar is 2586.

2023 results. "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	12,692	2358.2	− 2436	−77.8	× 12 / 67	−13.9
4	12,693	2384.4	− 2485	−100.6	× 13 / 67	−19.5
5	12,696	2467.8	− 2528	−60.2	× 13 / 67	−11.7
6	12,697	2470.8	− 2552	−81.2	× 17 / 67	−20.6
7	12,700	2521.3	− 2567	−45.7	× 12 / 67	−8.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−74

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	11,714	2397.0	− 2436	−39	× 11 / 61	−7
4	11,716	2414.9	− 2485	−70.1	× 11 / 61	−12.6
5	11,718	2417.9	− 2528	−110.1	× 13 / 61	−23.5
6	11,720	2600.0	− 2552	48	× 11 / 61	8.7
7	11,723	2561.1	− 2567	−5.9	× 15 / 61	−1.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−36

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
4	12,047	2404.5	− 2485	−80.5	× 14 / 54	−20.9
6	12,051	2470.2	− 2552	−81.8	× 13 / 54	−19.7
7	12,052	2561.4	− 2567	−5.6	× 11 / 54	−1.1
8	12,055	2610.8	− 2586	24.8	× 16 / 54	7.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−34

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	12,084	2475.2	− 2528	−52.8	× 13 / 39	−17.6
7	12,088	2524.3	− 2567	−42.7	× 13 / 39	−14.2
8	12,091	2601.7	− 2586	15.7	× 13 / 39	5.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−27

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	12,175	2392.7	− 2436	−43.3	× 11 / 77	−6.2
5	12,177	2416.4	− 2528	−111.6	× 19 / 77	−27.5
6	12,178	2506.0	− 2552	−46	× 22 / 77	−13.1
7	12,179	2542.9	− 2567	−24.1	× 13 / 77	−4.1
8	12,180	2541.4	− 2586	−44.6	× 12 / 77	−7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−58

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
7	12,001	2494.4	− 2567	−72.6	× 17 / 17	−72.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−73

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
8	12,189	2561.0	− 2586	−25	× 18 / 18	−25
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−25

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	12,163	2426.3	− 2436	−9.7	× 11 / 22	−4.9
8	12,168	2534.1	− 2586	−51.9	× 11 / 22	−26
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−31

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −74, −36, −34, −27, −58, −73, −25, −31 → −44.8
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 38 · 2016→2017: 2 · 2017→2018: 7 · 2018→2019: 31 · 2019→2021: 15 · 2021→2022: 48 · 2022→2023: 6 → average 21
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 21 × 2.66 = 55.9. Upper limit 11.1, lower limit −100.7.

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. From 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26.