Ponderosa 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 3 bar

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, 158 of the 445 students who took the math test were English learners.

All students

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 71 points under the grade 3 bar. 2365 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader scores 54 points under the grade 3 bar. 2382 vs. 2436. The 4th-grade bar is 2485.
5th The average 5th grader scores 41 points under the grade 3 bar. 2395 vs. 2436. The 5th-grade bar is 2528.
6th The average 6th grader scores 14 points under the grade 3 bar. 2422 vs. 2436. 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 52 students 54 points under the grade 3 bar. 4th 65 students 29 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 74 students 26 points under the grade 3 bar. 6th 96 students 44 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 50 students 89 points under the grade 3 bar. 4th 40 students 94 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 36 students 72 points under the grade 3 bar. 6th 32 students 71 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	47,819	2382.0	− 2436	−54	× 160 / 603	−14.3
4	47,820	2415.5	− 2485	−69.5	× 139 / 603	−16
5	47,823	2438.8	− 2528	−89.2	× 150 / 603	−22.2
6	47,824	2489.8	− 2552	−62.2	× 154 / 603	−15.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−68

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	44,476	2352.0	− 2436	−84	× 142 / 580	−20.6
4	44,478	2422.9	− 2485	−62.1	× 150 / 580	−16.1
5	44,480	2420.3	− 2528	−107.7	× 135 / 580	−25.1
6	44,481	2478.1	− 2552	−73.9	× 153 / 580	−19.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−81

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,636	2368.5	− 2436	−67.5	× 135 / 562	−16.2
4	45,638	2394.9	− 2485	−90.1	× 142 / 562	−22.8
5	45,641	2424.7	− 2528	−103.3	× 151 / 562	−27.8
6	45,642	2452.1	− 2552	−99.9	× 134 / 562	−23.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−91

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,654	2374.7	− 2436	−61.3	× 156 / 583	−16.4
4	45,655	2407.1	− 2485	−77.9	× 132 / 583	−17.6
5	45,658	2398.1	− 2528	−129.9	× 140 / 583	−31.2
6	45,659	2458.3	− 2552	−93.7	× 155 / 583	−24.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−90

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,835	2366.7	− 2436	−69.3	× 123 / 556	−15.3
4	45,836	2422.7	− 2485	−62.3	× 154 / 556	−17.3
5	45,837	2411.5	− 2528	−116.5	× 129 / 556	−27
6	45,838	2450.8	− 2552	−101.2	× 150 / 556	−27.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−87

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,643	2356.9	− 2436	−79.1	× 107 / 484	−17.5
4	45,644	2388.9	− 2485	−96.1	× 129 / 484	−25.6
5	45,645	2411.2	− 2528	−116.8	× 134 / 484	−32.3
6	45,646	2446.8	− 2552	−105.2	× 114 / 484	−24.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−100

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,625	2357.9	− 2436	−78.1	× 131 / 505	−20.3
4	45,626	2399.6	− 2485	−85.4	× 117 / 505	−19.8
5	45,627	2389.3	− 2528	−138.7	× 125 / 505	−34.3
6	45,628	2430.2	− 2552	−121.8	× 132 / 505	−31.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−106

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,484	2365.9	− 2436	−70.1	× 112 / 473	−16.6
4	45,485	2399.2	− 2485	−85.8	× 129 / 473	−23.4
5	45,486	2401.6	− 2528	−126.4	× 107 / 473	−28.6
6	45,487	2404.0	− 2552	−148	× 125 / 473	−39.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−108

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,248	2364.0	− 2436	−72	× 101 / 449	−16.2
4	45,249	2391.8	− 2485	−93.2	× 116 / 449	−24.1
5	45,250	2394.0	− 2528	−134	× 127 / 449	−37.9
6	45,251	2431.5	− 2552	−120.5	× 105 / 449	−28.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−106

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	45,142	2364.9	− 2436	−71.1	× 102 / 445	−16.3
4	45,143	2382.1	− 2485	−102.9	× 105 / 445	−24.3
5	45,144	2394.9	− 2528	−133.1	× 110 / 445	−32.9
6	45,145	2422.2	− 2552	−129.8	× 128 / 445	−37.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−111

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −68, −81, −91, −90, −87, −100, −106, −108, −106, −111 → −94.8
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 13 · 2016→2017: 10 · 2017→2018: 1 · 2018→2019: 3 · 2019→2022: 13 · 2022→2023: 6 · 2023→2024: 2 · 2024→2025: 2 · 2025→2026: 5 → average 6.1
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 6.1 × 2.66 = 16.2. Upper limit −78.6, lower limit −111.

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.