Sulphur Springs Community 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 scores just under the grade 3 bar. 2432 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader scores 28 points under the grade 4 bar. 2457 vs. 2485.
5th The average 5th grader scores 38 points under the grade 5 bar. 2491 vs. 2528.
6th The average 6th grader scores 25 points under the grade 5 bar. 2504 vs. 2528. 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	37,668	2435.2	− 2436	−0.8	× 80 / 366	−0.2
4	37,670	2470.3	− 2485	−14.7	× 94 / 366	−3.8
5	37,672	2534.9	− 2528	6.9	× 91 / 366	1.7
6	37,674	2547.9	− 2552	−4.1	× 101 / 366	−1.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−3

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,027	2448.7	− 2436	12.7	× 87 / 347	3.2
4	35,029	2482.9	− 2485	−2.1	× 74 / 347	−0.4
5	35,031	2509.5	− 2528	−18.5	× 95 / 347	−5.1
6	35,033	2539.8	− 2552	−12.2	× 91 / 347	−3.2
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	35,695	2472.1	− 2436	36.1	× 95 / 363	9.4
4	35,696	2485.3	− 2485	0.3	× 97 / 363	0.1
5	35,699	2522.1	− 2528	−5.9	× 77 / 363	−1.3
6	35,700	2568.7	− 2552	16.7	× 94 / 363	4.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						13

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,704	2459.2	− 2436	23.2	× 80 / 351	5.3
4	35,706	2503.4	− 2485	18.4	× 95 / 351	5
5	35,708	2532.9	− 2528	4.9	× 97 / 351	1.4
6	35,710	2545.6	− 2552	−6.4	× 79 / 351	−1.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						10

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,874	2462.9	− 2436	26.9	× 88 / 360	6.6
4	35,875	2498.3	− 2485	13.3	× 81 / 360	3
5	35,876	2545.5	− 2528	17.5	× 97 / 360	4.7
6	35,877	2569.6	− 2552	17.6	× 94 / 360	4.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						19

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,759	2435.1	− 2436	−0.9	× 56 / 295	−0.2
4	35,760	2481.4	− 2485	−3.6	× 81 / 295	−1
5	35,761	2465.2	− 2528	−62.8	× 83 / 295	−17.7
6	35,762	2527.0	− 2552	−25	× 75 / 295	−6.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−25

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,770	2414.9	− 2436	−21.1	× 88 / 299	−6.2
4	35,771	2454.9	− 2485	−30.1	× 56 / 299	−5.6
5	35,772	2494.2	− 2528	−33.8	× 78 / 299	−8.8
6	35,773	2486.4	− 2552	−65.6	× 77 / 299	−16.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−38

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,626	2430.0	− 2436	−6	× 74 / 293	−1.5
4	35,627	2447.6	− 2485	−37.4	× 89 / 293	−11.4
5	35,628	2490.2	− 2528	−37.8	× 53 / 293	−6.8
6	35,629	2534.4	− 2552	−17.6	× 77 / 293	−4.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−24

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,469	2427.7	− 2436	−8.3	× 78 / 299	−2.2
4	35,470	2464.4	− 2485	−20.6	× 74 / 299	−5.1
5	35,471	2471.6	− 2528	−56.4	× 91 / 299	−17.2
6	35,472	2535.1	− 2552	−16.9	× 56 / 299	−3.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−28

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,465	2431.8	− 2436	−4.2	× 80 / 307	−1.1
4	35,466	2457.4	− 2485	−27.6	× 73 / 307	−6.6
5	35,467	2490.5	− 2528	−37.5	× 72 / 307	−8.8
6	35,468	2503.5	− 2552	−48.5	× 82 / 307	−13
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−29

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −3, −6, 13, 10, 19, −25, −38, −24, −28, −29 → −11.1
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: 19 · 2017→2018: 3 · 2018→2019: 9 · 2019→2022: 44 · 2022→2023: 13 · 2023→2024: 14 · 2024→2025: 4 · 2025→2026: 1 → average 12.2
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 12.2 × 2.66 = 32.5. Upper limit 21.4, lower limit −43.6.

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.