Plum Canyon 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. 2492 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader meets the grade 4 bar. 2526 vs. 2485.
5th The average 5th grader meets the grade 5 bar. 2558 vs. 2528.
6th The average 6th grader meets the grade 6 bar. 2578 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	37,426	2431.9	− 2436	−4.1	× 104 / 423	−1
4	37,428	2494.7	− 2485	9.7	× 98 / 423	2.2
5	37,430	2492.8	− 2528	−35.2	× 121 / 423	−10.1
6	37,432	2552.0	− 2552	0	× 100 / 423	0
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−9

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	34,822	2444.8	− 2436	8.8	× 92 / 416	1.9
4	34,825	2475.3	− 2485	−9.7	× 103 / 416	−2.4
5	34,827	2512.7	− 2528	−15.3	× 99 / 416	−3.6
6	34,829	2545.3	− 2552	−6.7	× 122 / 416	−2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−6

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,469	2437.1	− 2436	1.1	× 76 / 367	0.2
4	35,471	2494.7	− 2485	9.7	× 94 / 367	2.5
5	35,473	2500.9	− 2528	−27.1	× 98 / 367	−7.2
6	35,474	2547.5	− 2552	−4.5	× 99 / 367	−1.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−6

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,479	2452.9	− 2436	16.9	× 99 / 384	4.4
4	35,480	2489.3	− 2485	4.3	× 83 / 384	0.9
5	35,483	2532.2	− 2528	4.2	× 99 / 384	1.1
6	35,485	2544.7	− 2552	−7.3	× 103 / 384	−2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						4

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,646	2485.8	− 2436	49.8	× 104 / 400	12.9
4	35,647	2500.6	− 2485	15.6	× 105 / 400	4.1
5	35,648	2506.9	− 2528	−21.1	× 90 / 400	−4.7
6	35,649	2575.5	− 2552	23.5	× 101 / 400	5.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						18

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,535	2471.8	− 2436	35.8	× 101 / 399	9.1
4	35,536	2487.2	− 2485	2.2	× 104 / 399	0.6
5	35,537	2518.6	− 2528	−9.4	× 91 / 399	−2.1
6	35,538	2563.5	− 2552	11.5	× 103 / 399	3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						10

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,540	2467.5	− 2436	31.5	× 104 / 420	7.8
4	35,541	2505.8	− 2485	20.8	× 108 / 420	5.3
5	35,542	2507.4	− 2528	−20.6	× 111 / 420	−5.4
6	35,543	2571.0	− 2552	19	× 97 / 420	4.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						12

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,402	2469.1	− 2436	33.1	× 119 / 449	8.8
4	35,403	2514.5	− 2485	29.5	× 108 / 449	7.1
5	35,404	2534.5	− 2528	6.5	× 114 / 449	1.7
6	35,405	2568.6	− 2552	16.6	× 108 / 449	4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						22

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,243	2485.5	− 2436	49.5	× 122 / 474	12.7
4	35,244	2521.9	− 2485	36.9	× 128 / 474	10
5	35,245	2544.1	− 2528	16.1	× 108 / 474	3.7
6	35,246	2582.4	− 2552	30.4	× 116 / 474	7.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						34

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,237	2491.5	− 2436	55.5	× 128 / 477	14.9
4	35,238	2526.0	− 2485	41	× 117 / 477	10.1
5	35,239	2558.4	− 2528	30.4	× 123 / 477	7.8
6	35,240	2578.3	− 2552	26.3	× 109 / 477	6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						39

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −9, −6, −6, 4, 18, 10, 12, 22, 34, 39 → 11.8
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: 0 · 2017→2018: 10 · 2018→2019: 14 · 2019→2022: 8 · 2022→2023: 2 · 2023→2024: 10 · 2024→2025: 12 · 2025→2026: 5 → average 7.1
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 7.1 × 2.66 = 18.9. Upper limit 30.7, lower limit −7.1.

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.