MethodSchools: 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.

5th The average 5th grader scores just under the grade 3 bar. 2433 vs. 2436. The 5th-grade bar is 2528.
6th The average 6th grader scores 18 points under the grade 6 bar. 2534 vs. 2552.
7th The average 7th grader meets the grade 7 bar. 2570 vs. 2567.
8th The average 8th grader meets the grade 8 bar. 2616 vs. 2586.
11th The average 11th grader meets the grade 11 bar. 2698 vs. 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
6	71,121	2468.9	− 2552	−83.1	× 15 / 15	−83.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−83

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	65,910	2479.7	− 2552	−72.3	× 11 / 39	−20.4
7	65,912	2502.6	− 2567	−64.4	× 16 / 39	−26.4
11	65,916	2529.7	− 2628	−98.3	× 12 / 39	−30.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−77

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
8	67,736	2493.5	− 2586	−92.5	× 13 / 13	−92.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−93

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
4	67,835	2399.4	− 2485	−85.6	× 12 / 67	−15.3
5	67,838	2459.6	− 2528	−68.4	× 11 / 67	−11.2
6	67,839	2464.6	− 2552	−87.4	× 17 / 67	−22.2
8	67,844	2467.3	− 2586	−118.7	× 16 / 67	−28.3
11	67,845	2518.6	− 2628	−109.4	× 11 / 67	−18
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−95

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	68,337	2491.4	− 2552	−60.6	× 12 / 64	−11.4
7	68,338	2517.3	− 2567	−49.7	× 20 / 64	−15.5
8	68,339	2513.1	− 2586	−72.9	× 17 / 64	−19.4
11	68,340	2506.2	− 2628	−121.8	× 15 / 64	−28.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−75

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	66,929	2432.7	− 2436	−3.3	× 16 / 16	−3.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−3

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	68,462	2428.3	− 2436	−7.7	× 14 / 234	−0.5
4	68,463	2436.8	− 2485	−48.2	× 15 / 234	−3.1
5	68,464	2452.7	− 2528	−75.3	× 16 / 234	−5.1
6	68,465	2481.9	− 2552	−70.1	× 29 / 234	−8.7
7	68,466	2508.6	− 2567	−58.4	× 34 / 234	−8.5
8	68,467	2495.1	− 2586	−90.9	× 54 / 234	−21
11	68,468	2515.4	− 2628	−112.6	× 72 / 234	−34.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−81

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	68,478	2442.7	− 2436	6.7	× 11 / 220	0.3
5	68,480	2439.3	− 2528	−88.7	× 19 / 220	−7.7
6	68,481	2490.8	− 2552	−61.2	× 26 / 220	−7.2
7	68,482	2481.9	− 2567	−85.1	× 33 / 220	−12.8
8	68,483	2480.5	− 2586	−105.5	× 53 / 220	−25.4
11	68,484	2525.8	− 2628	−102.2	× 78 / 220	−36.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−89

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
4	68,475	2448.8	− 2485	−36.2	× 12 / 246	−1.8
5	68,476	2478.8	− 2528	−49.2	× 12 / 246	−2.4
6	68,477	2447.8	− 2552	−104.2	× 30 / 246	−12.7
7	68,478	2513.1	− 2567	−53.9	× 44 / 246	−9.6
8	68,479	2489.1	− 2586	−96.9	× 52 / 246	−20.5
11	68,480	2560.3	− 2628	−67.7	× 96 / 246	−26.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−73

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
4	68,243	2448.7	− 2485	−36.3	× 20 / 301	−2.4
5	68,244	2463.3	− 2528	−64.7	× 11 / 301	−2.4
6	68,245	2492.0	− 2552	−60	× 27 / 301	−5.4
7	68,246	2534.7	− 2567	−32.3	× 73 / 301	−7.8
8	68,247	2509.4	− 2586	−76.6	× 74 / 301	−18.8
11	68,248	2622.8	− 2628	−5.2	× 96 / 301	−1.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−38

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	68,289	2433.3	− 2528	−94.7	× 11 / 224	−4.7
6	68,290	2534.0	− 2552	−18	× 20 / 224	−1.6
7	68,291	2570.3	− 2567	3.3	× 35 / 224	0.5
8	68,292	2616.1	− 2586	30.1	× 45 / 224	6
11	68,293	2697.9	− 2628	69.9	× 113 / 224	35.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						36

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −83, −77, −93, −95, −75, −3, −81, −89, −73, −38, 36 → −61
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 6 · 2016→2017: 16 · 2017→2018: 2 · 2018→2019: 20 · 2019→2021: 72 · 2021→2022: 78 · 2022→2023: 8 · 2023→2024: 16 · 2024→2025: 35 · 2025→2026: 74 → average 32.7
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 32.7 × 2.66 = 87. Upper limit 26, lower limit −148.

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.