Merlinda 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.

All students

3rd The average 3rd grader meets the grade 3 bar. 2441 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader scores 40 points under the grade 4 bar. 2445 vs. 2485.
5th The average 5th grader scores 38 points under the grade 5 bar. 2490 vs. 2528.
6th The average 6th grader scores just under the grade 5 bar. 2523 vs. 2528. The 6th-grade bar is 2552.

Students fluent in English

Math with English out of the way. Includes students who have only ever spoken English.

Grade bars 4th 49 students 32 points under the grade 4 bar. 5th 58 students 31 points under the grade 5 bar.

English learners

Students leave this group as they become fluent, so its average stays low even where they learn well.

Grade bars 4th 11 students 30 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 14 students 25 points under the grade 4 bar.

the group's average that grade's own bar the distance between

2026 results. "Meets standard" is the state's mark for being on track for that grade. The state leaves out any group of ten students or fewer, so a grade may be missing from the charts.

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	38,248	2430.9	− 2436	−5.1	× 115 / 381	−1.5
4	38,250	2456.8	− 2485	−28.2	× 83 / 381	−6.1
5	38,252	2496.2	− 2528	−31.8	× 96 / 381	−8
6	38,254	2550.8	− 2552	−1.2	× 87 / 381	−0.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−16

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,522	2429.6	− 2436	−6.4	× 78 / 373	−1.3
4	35,524	2487.7	− 2485	2.7	× 110 / 373	0.8
5	35,526	2496.7	− 2528	−31.3	× 91 / 373	−7.6
6	35,528	2524.8	− 2552	−27.2	× 94 / 373	−6.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−15

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,226	2426.5	− 2436	−9.5	× 74 / 357	−2
4	36,229	2470.6	− 2485	−14.4	× 77 / 357	−3.1
5	36,230	2494.2	− 2528	−33.8	× 114 / 357	−10.8
6	36,233	2492.5	− 2552	−59.5	× 92 / 357	−15.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−31

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,213	2446.3	− 2436	10.3	× 69 / 338	2.1
4	36,215	2468.9	− 2485	−16.1	× 77 / 338	−3.7
5	36,217	2511.8	− 2528	−16.2	× 83 / 338	−4
6	36,219	2529.1	− 2552	−22.9	× 109 / 338	−7.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−13

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,380	2433.9	− 2436	−2.1	× 76 / 300	−0.5
4	36,381	2485.1	− 2485	0.1	× 70 / 300	0
5	36,382	2509.7	− 2528	−18.3	× 80 / 300	−4.9
6	36,383	2544.4	− 2552	−7.6	× 74 / 300	−1.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−7

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,277	2434.2	− 2436	−1.8	× 55 / 273	−0.4
4	36,278	2480.7	− 2485	−4.3	× 77 / 273	−1.2
5	36,279	2500.4	− 2528	−27.6	× 76 / 273	−7.7
6	36,280	2543.7	− 2552	−8.3	× 65 / 273	−2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−11

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,282	2429.4	− 2436	−6.6	× 55 / 257	−1.4
4	36,283	2443.2	− 2485	−41.8	× 53 / 257	−8.6
5	36,284	2508.6	− 2528	−19.4	× 79 / 257	−6
6	36,285	2526.9	− 2552	−25.1	× 70 / 257	−6.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−23

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	36,134	2414.0	− 2436	−22	× 67 / 261	−5.6
4	36,135	2458.9	− 2485	−26.1	× 59 / 261	−5.9
5	36,136	2497.9	− 2528	−30.1	× 66 / 261	−7.6
6	36,137	2511.1	− 2552	−40.9	× 69 / 261	−10.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−30

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,975	2417.9	− 2436	−18.1	× 57 / 237	−4.4
4	35,976	2441.7	− 2485	−43.3	× 64 / 237	−11.7
5	35,977	2499.6	− 2528	−28.4	× 69 / 237	−8.3
6	35,978	2529.9	− 2552	−22.1	× 47 / 237	−4.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−29

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	35,973	2441.2	− 2436	5.2	× 63 / 259	1.3
4	35,974	2444.7	− 2485	−40.3	× 60 / 259	−9.3
5	35,975	2489.8	− 2528	−38.2	× 72 / 259	−10.6
6	35,976	2522.9	− 2552	−29.1	× 64 / 259	−7.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−26

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −16, −15, −31, −13, −7, −11, −23, −30, −29, −26 → −20.1
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 1 · 2016→2017: 16 · 2017→2018: 18 · 2018→2019: 6 · 2019→2022: 4 · 2022→2023: 12 · 2023→2024: 7 · 2024→2025: 1 · 2025→2026: 3 → average 7.6
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 7.6 × 2.66 = 20.2. Upper limit 0.1, lower limit −40.3.

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.