Sulphur Springs Union: math

The shaded band is this district'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.

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	37,617	2438.9	− 2436	2.9	× 759 / 3112	0.7
4	37,619	2472.1	− 2485	−12.9	× 782 / 3112	−3.2
5	37,621	2510.0	− 2528	−18	× 772 / 3112	−4.5
6	37,623	2535.7	− 2552	−16.3	× 799 / 3112	−4.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−11

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	34,977	2446.1	− 2436	10.1	× 722 / 3057	2.4
4	34,979	2481.3	− 2485	−3.7	× 753 / 3057	−0.9
5	34,981	2505.3	− 2528	−22.7	× 787 / 3057	−5.8
6	34,982	2537.3	− 2552	−14.7	× 795 / 3057	−3.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−8

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,645	2450.7	− 2436	14.7	× 753 / 3044	3.6
4	35,647	2479.7	− 2485	−5.3	× 753 / 3044	−1.3
5	35,649	2510.9	− 2528	−17.1	× 752 / 3044	−4.2
6	35,650	2542.5	− 2552	−9.5	× 786 / 3044	−2.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−4

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,654	2444.5	− 2436	8.5	× 728 / 3028	2
4	35,656	2487.4	− 2485	2.4	× 761 / 3028	0.6
5	35,658	2504.7	− 2528	−23.3	× 752 / 3028	−5.8
6	35,660	2545.5	− 2552	−6.5	× 787 / 3028	−1.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−5

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,818	2447.6	− 2436	11.6	× 713 / 2984	2.8
4	35,819	2487.2	− 2485	2.2	× 744 / 2984	0.5
5	35,820	2516.1	− 2528	−11.9	× 758 / 2984	−3
6	35,821	2537.3	− 2552	−14.7	× 769 / 2984	−3.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−3

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,703	2429.1	− 2436	−6.9	× 630 / 2861	−1.5
4	35,704	2466.5	− 2485	−18.5	× 743 / 2861	−4.8
5	35,705	2473.3	− 2528	−54.7	× 763 / 2861	−14.6
6	35,706	2513.0	− 2552	−39	× 725 / 2861	−9.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−31

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,714	2431.4	− 2436	−4.6	× 756 / 2899	−1.2
4	35,715	2469.7	− 2485	−15.3	× 643 / 2899	−3.4
5	35,716	2479.6	− 2528	−48.4	× 739 / 2899	−12.3
6	35,717	2497.8	− 2552	−54.2	× 761 / 2899	−14.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−31

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,576	2429.0	− 2436	−7	× 635 / 2809	−1.6
4	35,577	2469.9	− 2485	−15.1	× 765 / 2809	−4.1
5	35,578	2489.4	− 2528	−38.6	× 642 / 2809	−8.8
6	35,579	2514.4	− 2552	−37.6	× 767 / 2809	−10.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−25

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,419	2434.8	− 2436	−1.2	× 692 / 2771	−0.3
4	35,420	2468.3	− 2485	−16.7	× 648 / 2771	−3.9
5	35,421	2480.8	− 2528	−47.2	× 770 / 2771	−13.1
6	35,422	2530.5	− 2552	−21.5	× 661 / 2771	−5.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−22

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,411	2430.0	− 2436	−6	× 688 / 2765	−1.5
4	35,412	2471.4	− 2485	−13.6	× 662 / 2765	−3.3
5	35,413	2484.1	− 2528	−43.9	× 649 / 2765	−10.3
6	35,414	2523.4	− 2552	−28.6	× 766 / 2765	−7.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−23

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −11, −8, −4, −5, −3, −31, −31, −25, −22, −23 → −16.3
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: 4 · 2017→2018: 1 · 2018→2019: 2 · 2019→2022: 28 · 2022→2023: 0 · 2023→2024: 6 · 2024→2025: 3 · 2025→2026: 1 → average 5.3
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 5.3 × 2.66 = 14.1. Upper limit −2.2, lower limit −30.4.

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 — for a district, the total across its schools. From 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26.

Sulphur Springs Union