Pierce Academy of the Arts: 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 6.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 13 points under the grade 3 bar. 2423 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader scores 33 points under the grade 4 bar. 2453 vs. 2485.
5th The average 5th grader scores 28 points under the grade 4 bar. 2458 vs. 2485. The 5th-grade bar is 2528.
6th The average 6th grader scores 28 points under the grade 4 bar. 2457 vs. 2485. The 6th-grade bar is 2552.

2026 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	18,305	2423.9	− 2436	−12.1	× 59 / 177	−4
4	18,307	2477.2	− 2485	−7.8	× 57 / 177	−2.5
5	18,309	2505.1	− 2528	−22.9	× 61 / 177	−7.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−14

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	17,322	2433.6	− 2436	−2.4	× 47 / 162	−0.7
4	17,324	2477.2	− 2485	−7.8	× 59 / 162	−2.8
5	17,326	2507.1	− 2528	−20.9	× 56 / 162	−7.2
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	17,635	2434.5	− 2436	−1.5	× 39 / 163	−0.4
4	17,637	2454.8	− 2485	−30.2	× 61 / 163	−11.3
5	17,639	2507.2	− 2528	−20.8	× 63 / 163	−8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−20

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	17,655	2401.7	− 2436	−34.3	× 80 / 201	−13.7
4	17,657	2431.8	− 2485	−53.2	× 56 / 201	−14.8
5	17,659	2473.4	− 2528	−54.6	× 65 / 201	−17.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−46

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	17,804	2403.7	− 2436	−32.3	× 57 / 190	−9.7
4	17,805	2443.0	− 2485	−42	× 82 / 190	−18.1
5	17,806	2472.3	− 2528	−55.7	× 51 / 190	−15
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−43

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	17,400	2340.2	− 2436	−95.8	× 63 / 164	−36.8
4	17,401	2411.6	− 2485	−73.4	× 45 / 164	−20.1
5	17,402	2432.8	− 2528	−95.2	× 56 / 164	−32.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−89

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	17,860	2335.4	− 2436	−100.6	× 61 / 160	−38.4
4	17,861	2405.9	− 2485	−79.1	× 53 / 160	−26.2
5	17,862	2448.6	− 2528	−79.4	× 46 / 160	−22.8
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	17,812	2378.1	− 2436	−57.9	× 63 / 174	−21
4	17,813	2387.5	− 2485	−97.5	× 59 / 174	−33.1
5	17,814	2428.1	− 2528	−99.9	× 52 / 174	−29.9
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	17,764	2388.9	− 2436	−47.1	× 47 / 163	−13.6
4	17,765	2430.5	− 2485	−54.5	× 63 / 163	−21.1
5	17,766	2390.7	− 2528	−137.3	× 53 / 163	−44.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−79

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	17,760	2378.5	− 2436	−57.5	× 44 / 150	−16.9
4	17,761	2448.8	− 2485	−36.2	× 51 / 150	−12.3
5	17,762	2442.5	− 2528	−85.5	× 55 / 150	−31.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−61

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	17,800	2422.6	− 2436	−13.4	× 27 / 109	−3.3
4	17,801	2452.5	− 2485	−32.5	× 30 / 109	−8.9
5	17,802	2457.5	− 2528	−70.5	× 26 / 109	−16.8
6	17,803	2456.7	− 2552	−95.3	× 26 / 109	−22.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−52

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −14, −11, −20, −46, −43, −89, −87, −84, −79, −61, −52 → −53.3
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 3 · 2016→2017: 9 · 2017→2018: 26 · 2018→2019: 3 · 2019→2021: 46 · 2021→2022: 2 · 2022→2023: 3 · 2023→2024: 5 · 2024→2025: 18 · 2025→2026: 9 → average 12.4
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 12.4 × 2.66 = 33. Upper limit −20.3, lower limit −86.3.

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.