Stephen Foster 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 6.

3rd The average 3rd grader meets the grade 3 bar. 2458 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader scores just under the grade 4 bar. 2477 vs. 2485.
5th The average 5th grader scores 31 points under the grade 5 bar. 2498 vs. 2528.
6th The average 6th grader scores just under the grade 6 bar. 2552 vs. 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	21,486	2422.5	− 2436	−13.5	× 109 / 409	−3.6
4	21,488	2477.6	− 2485	−7.4	× 95 / 409	−1.7
5	21,490	2478.0	− 2528	−50	× 104 / 409	−12.7
6	21,492	2521.5	− 2552	−30.5	× 101 / 409	−7.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−26

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	20,366	2454.4	− 2436	18.4	× 94 / 399	4.3
4	20,369	2451.3	− 2485	−33.7	× 104 / 399	−8.8
5	20,371	2492.3	− 2528	−35.7	× 94 / 399	−8.4
6	20,372	2517.8	− 2552	−34.2	× 107 / 399	−9.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−22

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	20,692	2447.2	− 2436	11.2	× 94 / 391	2.7
4	20,695	2466.0	− 2485	−19	× 101 / 391	−4.9
5	20,696	2478.3	− 2528	−49.7	× 103 / 391	−13.1
6	20,699	2516.8	− 2552	−35.2	× 93 / 391	−8.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−24

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	20,687	2474.9	− 2436	38.9	× 70 / 376	7.2
4	20,689	2474.3	− 2485	−10.7	× 107 / 376	−3
5	20,691	2494.3	− 2528	−33.7	× 97 / 376	−8.7
6	20,693	2510.8	− 2552	−41.2	× 102 / 376	−11.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−16

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	20,868	2460.3	− 2436	24.3	× 108 / 381	6.9
4	20,869	2479.9	− 2485	−5.1	× 69 / 381	−0.9
5	20,870	2501.0	− 2528	−27	× 104 / 381	−7.4
6	20,871	2512.5	− 2552	−39.5	× 100 / 381	−10.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−12

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	20,879	2424.8	− 2436	−11.2	× 69 / 316	−2.4
4	20,880	2474.3	− 2485	−10.7	× 85 / 316	−2.9
5	20,881	2510.5	− 2528	−17.5	× 66 / 316	−3.7
6	20,882	2515.6	− 2552	−36.4	× 96 / 316	−11.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−20

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	20,838	2442.8	− 2436	6.8	× 72 / 293	1.7
4	20,839	2462.9	− 2485	−22.1	× 66 / 293	−5
5	20,840	2513.2	− 2528	−14.8	× 89 / 293	−4.5
6	20,841	2553.6	− 2552	1.6	× 66 / 293	0.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−7

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	20,716	2454.5	− 2436	18.5	× 69 / 293	4.4
4	20,717	2485.7	− 2485	0.7	× 69 / 293	0.2
5	20,718	2494.3	− 2528	−33.7	× 73 / 293	−8.4
6	20,719	2529.8	− 2552	−22.2	× 82 / 293	−6.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−10

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	20,635	2457.8	− 2436	21.8	× 52 / 261	4.3
4	20,636	2460.4	− 2485	−24.6	× 65 / 261	−6.1
5	20,637	2502.4	− 2528	−25.6	× 72 / 261	−7.1
6	20,638	2509.6	− 2552	−42.4	× 72 / 261	−11.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−21

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	20,695	2458.1	− 2436	22.1	× 62 / 259	5.3
4	20,696	2476.6	− 2485	−8.4	× 63 / 259	−2
5	20,697	2497.5	− 2528	−30.5	× 67 / 259	−7.9
6	20,698	2551.6	− 2552	−0.4	× 67 / 259	−0.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−5

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −26, −22, −24, −16, −12, −20, −7, −10, −21, −5 → −16.3
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 4 · 2016→2017: 2 · 2017→2018: 8 · 2018→2019: 4 · 2019→2022: 8 · 2022→2023: 13 · 2023→2024: 3 · 2024→2025: 11 · 2025→2026: 16 → average 7.7
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 7.7 × 2.66 = 20.5. Upper limit 4.2, lower limit −36.8.

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.