Dr. Theodore T. Alexander Jr. Science Center: 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 5.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores just under the grade 3 bar. 2435 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader scores 25 points under the grade 4 bar. 2460 vs. 2485.
5th The average 5th grader scores 31 points under the grade 5 bar. 2497 vs. 2528.

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	26,602	2380.7	− 2436	−55.3	× 113 / 304	−20.6
4	26,603	2414.0	− 2485	−71	× 103 / 304	−24.1
5	26,606	2433.5	− 2528	−94.5	× 88 / 304	−27.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−72

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	24,721	2395.7	− 2436	−40.3	× 109 / 299	−14.7
4	24,724	2418.8	− 2485	−66.2	× 101 / 299	−22.4
5	24,725	2443.5	− 2528	−84.5	× 89 / 299	−25.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−62

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,219	2404.7	− 2436	−31.3	× 106 / 298	−11.1
4	25,220	2435.9	− 2485	−49.1	× 101 / 298	−16.6
5	25,223	2438.4	− 2528	−89.6	× 91 / 298	−27.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−55

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,246	2408.3	− 2436	−27.7	× 101 / 288	−9.7
4	25,247	2432.3	− 2485	−52.7	× 94 / 288	−17.2
5	25,250	2451.4	− 2528	−76.6	× 93 / 288	−24.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−52

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,407	2427.5	− 2436	−8.5	× 103 / 278	−3.1
4	25,408	2426.1	− 2485	−58.9	× 89 / 278	−18.9
5	25,409	2476.2	− 2528	−51.8	× 86 / 278	−16
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−38

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,356	2406.4	− 2436	−29.6	× 101 / 265	−11.3
4	25,357	2418.6	− 2485	−66.4	× 87 / 265	−21.8
5	25,358	2462.3	− 2528	−65.7	× 77 / 265	−19.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−52

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,307	2416.2	− 2436	−19.8	× 100 / 277	−7.1
4	25,308	2456.3	− 2485	−28.7	× 97 / 277	−10.1
5	25,309	2437.1	− 2528	−90.9	× 80 / 277	−26.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−43

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,161	2424.7	− 2436	−11.3	× 97 / 280	−3.9
4	25,162	2473.6	− 2485	−11.4	× 90 / 280	−3.7
5	25,163	2465.6	− 2528	−62.4	× 93 / 280	−20.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−28

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,050	2404.7	− 2436	−31.3	× 102 / 281	−11.4
4	25,051	2479.2	− 2485	−5.8	× 95 / 281	−2
5	25,052	2495.0	− 2528	−33	× 84 / 281	−9.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−23

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,078	2434.9	− 2436	−1.1	× 95 / 278	−0.4
4	25,079	2459.9	− 2485	−25.1	× 92 / 278	−8.3
5	25,080	2496.7	− 2528	−31.3	× 91 / 278	−10.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−19

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −72, −62, −55, −52, −38, −52, −43, −28, −23, −19 → −44.4
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 10 · 2016→2017: 7 · 2017→2018: 3 · 2018→2019: 14 · 2019→2022: 14 · 2022→2023: 9 · 2023→2024: 15 · 2024→2025: 5 · 2025→2026: 4 → average 9
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 9 × 2.66 = 23.9. Upper limit −20.5, lower limit −68.3.

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.