Alice Birney 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, 103 of the 341 students who took the math test were English learners.

All students

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 69 points under the grade 3 bar. 2367 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader scores 40 points under the grade 3 bar. 2396 vs. 2436. The 4th-grade bar is 2485.
5th The average 5th grader scores 27 points under the grade 3 bar. 2409 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.

Students fluent in English

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

Grade bars 3rd 65 students 59 points under the grade 3 bar. 4th 56 students 29 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 56 students 12 points under the grade 3 bar. 6th 61 students 40 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 33 students 88 points under the grade 3 bar. 4th 28 students 63 points under the grade 3 bar. 5th 23 students 64 points under the grade 3 bar. 6th 19 students 37 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	65,477	2364.8	− 2436	−71.2	× 105 / 455	−16.4
4	65,479	2394.5	− 2485	−90.5	× 119 / 455	−23.7
5	65,481	2405.5	− 2528	−122.5	× 119 / 455	−32
6	65,483	2449.2	− 2552	−102.8	× 112 / 455	−25.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−97

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	60,710	2349.5	− 2436	−86.5	× 134 / 476	−24.4
4	60,711	2388.1	− 2485	−96.9	× 112 / 476	−22.8
5	60,714	2385.9	− 2528	−142.1	× 113 / 476	−33.7
6	60,716	2427.8	− 2552	−124.2	× 117 / 476	−30.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−111

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,458	2378.5	− 2436	−57.5	× 96 / 440	−12.5
4	62,460	2386.5	− 2485	−98.5	× 126 / 440	−28.2
5	62,462	2415.9	− 2528	−112.1	× 103 / 440	−26.2
6	62,464	2446.0	− 2552	−106	× 115 / 440	−27.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−95

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,536	2366.7	− 2436	−69.3	× 94 / 409	−15.9
4	62,537	2418.3	− 2485	−66.7	× 86 / 409	−14
5	62,540	2404.4	− 2528	−123.6	× 124 / 409	−37.5
6	62,541	2472.7	− 2552	−79.3	× 105 / 409	−20.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−88

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,813	2381.7	− 2436	−54.3	× 86 / 378	−12.4
4	62,814	2404.5	− 2485	−80.5	× 90 / 378	−19.2
5	62,815	2451.8	− 2528	−76.2	× 83 / 378	−16.7
6	62,816	2466.7	− 2552	−85.3	× 119 / 378	−26.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−75

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,872	2365.5	− 2436	−70.5	× 72 / 304	−16.7
4	62,873	2389.5	− 2485	−95.5	× 77 / 304	−24.2
5	62,874	2403.1	− 2528	−124.9	× 80 / 304	−32.9
6	62,875	2447.3	− 2552	−104.7	× 75 / 304	−25.8
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	62,824	2363.0	− 2436	−73	× 94 / 334	−20.5
4	62,825	2412.8	− 2485	−72.2	× 81 / 334	−17.5
5	62,826	2398.3	− 2528	−129.7	× 77 / 334	−29.9
6	62,827	2462.0	− 2552	−90	× 82 / 334	−22.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−90

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,779	2364.8	− 2436	−71.2	× 83 / 334	−17.7
4	62,780	2387.3	− 2485	−97.7	× 96 / 334	−28.1
5	62,781	2415.3	− 2528	−112.7	× 80 / 334	−27
6	62,782	2450.4	− 2552	−101.6	× 75 / 334	−22.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−96

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,548	2375.2	− 2436	−60.8	× 89 / 339	−16
4	62,549	2385.0	− 2485	−100	× 85 / 339	−25.1
5	62,550	2409.2	− 2528	−118.8	× 82 / 339	−28.7
6	62,551	2468.4	− 2552	−83.6	× 83 / 339	−20.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−90

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	62,521	2367.4	− 2436	−68.6	× 98 / 341	−19.7
4	62,522	2395.7	− 2485	−89.3	× 84 / 341	−22
5	62,523	2409.1	− 2528	−118.9	× 79 / 341	−27.5
6	62,524	2434.0	− 2552	−118	× 80 / 341	−27.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−97

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −97, −111, −95, −88, −75, −100, −90, −96, −90, −97 → −93.9
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 14 · 2016→2017: 16 · 2017→2018: 7 · 2018→2019: 13 · 2019→2022: 25 · 2022→2023: 10 · 2023→2024: 6 · 2024→2025: 6 · 2025→2026: 7 → average 11.6
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 11.6 × 2.66 = 30.9. Upper limit −63, lower limit −124.8.

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.