Don Stowell 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.

Many students here are still learning English. The math test is written in English, with some translation help, and many of its questions are word problems. In 2026, 70 of the 254 students who took the math test were English learners.

All students

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 60 points under the grade 3 bar. 2376 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader scores 58 points under the grade 3 bar. 2378 vs. 2436. The 4th-grade bar is 2485.
5th The average 5th grader scores 37 points under the grade 3 bar. 2399 vs. 2436. The 5th-grade bar is 2528.
6th The average 6th grader scores 47 points under the grade 4 bar. 2438 vs. 2485. 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 3rd 48 students 46 points under the grade 3 bar. 4th 39 students 66 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 38 students 29 points under the grade 3 bar. 6th 59 students 26 points under the grade 4 bar.

English learners

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

Grade bars 3rd 21 students 93 points under the grade 3 bar. 4th 16 students 39 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 17 students 54 points under the grade 3 bar. 6th 16 students 76 points under the grade 3 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	44,482	2365.1	− 2436	−70.9	× 98 / 262	−26.5
4	44,483	2392.0	− 2485	−93	× 98 / 262	−34.8
5	44,486	2410.9	− 2528	−117.1	× 66 / 262	−29.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−91

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	41,216	2385.3	− 2436	−50.7	× 95 / 316	−15.2
4	41,218	2399.5	− 2485	−85.5	× 86 / 316	−23.3
5	41,220	2436.1	− 2528	−91.9	× 83 / 316	−24.1
6	41,221	2399.9	− 2552	−152.1	× 52 / 316	−25
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−88

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,234	2384.7	− 2436	−51.3	× 80 / 341	−12
4	42,236	2407.5	− 2485	−77.5	× 91 / 341	−20.7
5	42,239	2427.9	− 2528	−100.1	× 84 / 341	−24.7
6	42,241	2423.4	− 2552	−128.6	× 86 / 341	−32.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−90

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,247	2397.9	− 2436	−38.1	× 78 / 322	−9.2
4	42,250	2403.8	− 2485	−81.2	× 81 / 322	−20.4
5	42,251	2435.2	− 2528	−92.8	× 81 / 322	−23.3
6	42,254	2428.7	− 2552	−123.3	× 82 / 322	−31.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−84

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,390	2413.0	− 2436	−23	× 74 / 298	−5.7
4	42,391	2420.9	− 2485	−64.1	× 77 / 298	−16.6
5	42,392	2423.6	− 2528	−104.4	× 77 / 298	−27
6	42,393	2445.9	− 2552	−106.1	× 70 / 298	−24.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−74

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,151	2362.6	− 2436	−73.4	× 80 / 319	−18.4
4	42,152	2391.5	− 2485	−93.5	× 92 / 319	−27
5	42,153	2423.9	− 2528	−104.1	× 79 / 319	−25.8
6	42,154	2411.0	− 2552	−141	× 68 / 319	−30.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−101

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,176	2377.0	− 2436	−59	× 88 / 296	−17.5
4	42,177	2413.5	− 2485	−71.5	× 53 / 296	−12.8
5	42,178	2402.8	− 2528	−125.2	× 90 / 296	−38.1
6	42,179	2439.1	− 2552	−112.9	× 65 / 296	−24.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−93

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,007	2369.4	− 2436	−66.6	× 68 / 330	−13.7
4	42,008	2413.1	− 2485	−71.9	× 91 / 330	−19.8
5	42,009	2420.1	− 2528	−107.9	× 81 / 330	−26.5
6	42,010	2406.5	− 2552	−145.5	× 90 / 330	−39.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−100

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	41,770	2381.7	− 2436	−54.3	× 65 / 307	−11.5
4	41,771	2398.7	− 2485	−86.3	× 74 / 307	−20.8
5	41,772	2426.7	− 2528	−101.3	× 92 / 307	−30.4
6	41,773	2438.9	− 2552	−113.1	× 76 / 307	−28
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−91

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	41,672	2376.0	− 2436	−60	× 69 / 254	−16.3
4	41,673	2378.2	− 2485	−106.8	× 55 / 254	−23.1
5	41,674	2399.4	− 2528	−128.6	× 55 / 254	−27.8
6	41,675	2437.8	− 2552	−114.2	× 75 / 254	−33.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−101

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −91, −88, −90, −84, −74, −101, −93, −100, −91, −101 → −91.3
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: 2 · 2017→2018: 6 · 2018→2019: 10 · 2019→2022: 27 · 2022→2023: 8 · 2023→2024: 7 · 2024→2025: 9 · 2025→2026: 10 → average 9.1
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 9.1 × 2.66 = 24.2. Upper limit −67.1, lower limit −115.5.

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.