Merced Scholars Charter: 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 11.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 66 points under the grade 3 bar. 2370 vs. 2436.
5th The average 5th grader scores 66 points under the grade 3 bar. 2370 vs. 2436. The 5th-grade bar is 2528.
6th The average 6th grader scores just under the grade 3 bar. 2434 vs. 2436. The 6th-grade bar is 2552.
7th The average 7th grader scores just under the grade 3 bar. 2436 vs. 2436. The 7th-grade bar is 2567.
8th The average 8th grader scores just under the grade 3 bar. 2435 vs. 2436. The 8th-grade bar is 2586.
11th The average 11th grader scores 23 points under the grade 4 bar. 2463 vs. 2485. The 11th-grade bar is 2628.

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
11	43,821	2501.5	− 2628	−126.5	× 25 / 25	−126.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−127

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
11	40,523	2523.3	− 2628	−104.7	× 26 / 26	−104.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−105

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
7	41,526	2509.1	− 2567	−57.9	× 11 / 42	−15.2
11	41,531	2526.2	− 2628	−101.8	× 31 / 42	−75.1
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
7	41,556	2476.7	− 2567	−90.3	× 12 / 51	−21.2
8	41,558	2494.2	− 2586	−91.8	× 16 / 51	−28.8
11	41,559	2505.0	− 2628	−123	× 23 / 51	−55.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−106

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
7	41,701	2468.4	− 2567	−98.6	× 17 / 75	−22.3
8	41,702	2482.5	− 2586	−103.5	× 24 / 75	−33.1
11	41,703	2515.2	− 2628	−112.8	× 34 / 75	−51.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−107

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
7	40,596	2433.7	− 2567	−133.3	× 19 / 54	−46.9
8	40,597	2459.0	− 2586	−127	× 14 / 54	−32.9
11	40,598	2532.3	− 2628	−95.7	× 21 / 54	−37.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−117

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	41,454	2345.9	− 2436	−90.1	× 15 / 174	−7.8
4	41,455	2392.8	− 2485	−92.2	× 21 / 174	−11.1
5	41,456	2416.7	− 2528	−111.3	× 18 / 174	−11.5
6	41,457	2449.2	− 2552	−102.8	× 21 / 174	−12.4
7	41,458	2424.8	− 2567	−142.2	× 30 / 174	−24.5
8	41,459	2444.4	− 2586	−141.6	× 32 / 174	−26
11	41,460	2484.4	− 2628	−143.6	× 37 / 174	−30.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−124

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	41,487	2406.8	− 2528	−121.2	× 20 / 124	−19.5
6	41,488	2438.5	− 2552	−113.5	× 13 / 124	−11.9
7	41,489	2481.9	− 2567	−85.1	× 25 / 124	−17.2
8	41,490	2436.8	− 2586	−149.2	× 31 / 124	−37.3
11	41,491	2452.0	− 2628	−176	× 35 / 124	−49.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−136

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	41,304	2405.4	− 2528	−122.6	× 16 / 121	−16.2
6	41,305	2441.1	− 2552	−110.9	× 19 / 121	−17.4
7	41,306	2457.0	− 2567	−110	× 20 / 121	−18.2
8	41,307	2444.5	− 2586	−141.5	× 30 / 121	−35.1
11	41,308	2476.9	− 2628	−151.1	× 36 / 121	−45
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−132

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	41,067	2301.4	− 2436	−134.6	× 12 / 133	−12.1
4	41,068	2360.8	− 2485	−124.2	× 11 / 133	−10.3
6	41,070	2419.1	− 2552	−132.9	× 19 / 133	−19
7	41,071	2454.5	− 2567	−112.5	× 30 / 133	−25.4
8	41,072	2495.2	− 2586	−90.8	× 25 / 133	−17.1
11	41,073	2485.1	− 2628	−142.9	× 36 / 133	−38.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−123

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	40,971	2370.2	− 2436	−65.8	× 18 / 167	−7.1
5	40,973	2370.4	− 2528	−157.6	× 11 / 167	−10.4
6	40,974	2433.9	− 2552	−118.1	× 20 / 167	−14.1
7	40,975	2435.9	− 2567	−131.1	× 31 / 167	−24.3
8	40,976	2434.5	− 2586	−151.5	× 46 / 167	−41.7
11	40,977	2462.5	− 2628	−165.5	× 41 / 167	−40.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−138

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −127, −105, −90, −106, −107, −117, −124, −136, −132, −123, −138 → −118.6
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 22 · 2016→2017: 15 · 2017→2018: 16 · 2018→2019: 1 · 2019→2021: 10 · 2021→2022: 7 · 2022→2023: 12 · 2023→2024: 4 · 2024→2025: 9 · 2025→2026: 15 → average 11.1
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 11.1 × 2.66 = 29.5. Upper limit −89.1, lower limit −148.1.

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.