Los Altos Elementary: math

The shaded band is this district'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.

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	87,591	2510.9	− 2436	74.9	× 496 / 3236	11.5
4	87,593	2559.6	− 2485	74.6	× 538 / 3236	12.4
5	87,595	2604.6	− 2528	76.6	× 539 / 3236	12.8
6	87,597	2634.0	− 2552	82	× 525 / 3236	13.3
7	87,599	2654.9	− 2567	87.9	× 584 / 3236	15.9
8	87,601	2668.4	− 2586	82.4	× 554 / 3236	14.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						80

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	81,294	2507.5	− 2436	71.5	× 490 / 3253	10.8
4	81,296	2563.5	− 2485	78.5	× 517 / 3253	12.5
5	81,298	2595.2	− 2528	67.2	× 547 / 3253	11.3
6	81,299	2649.8	− 2552	97.8	× 541 / 3253	16.3
7	81,301	2672.4	− 2567	105.4	× 573 / 3253	18.6
8	81,303	2681.0	− 2586	95	× 585 / 3253	17.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						86

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	83,541	2506.3	− 2436	70.3	× 506 / 3173	11.2
4	83,544	2560.2	− 2485	75.2	× 476 / 3173	11.3
5	83,545	2597.2	− 2528	69.2	× 528 / 3173	11.5
6	83,547	2641.6	− 2552	89.6	× 527 / 3173	14.9
7	83,550	2669.9	− 2567	102.9	× 561 / 3173	18.2
8	83,551	2689.3	− 2586	103.3	× 575 / 3173	18.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						86

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	83,767	2506.8	− 2436	70.8	× 447 / 3071	10.3
4	83,769	2561.6	− 2485	76.6	× 527 / 3071	13.1
5	83,771	2601.1	− 2528	73.1	× 476 / 3071	11.3
6	83,773	2652.2	− 2552	100.2	× 504 / 3071	16.4
7	83,775	2661.0	− 2567	94	× 557 / 3071	17
8	83,777	2699.0	− 2586	113	× 560 / 3071	20.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						89

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	84,382	2517.1	− 2436	81.1	× 430 / 2915	12
4	84,383	2561.6	− 2485	76.6	× 442 / 2915	11.6
5	84,384	2604.1	− 2528	76.1	× 522 / 2915	13.6
6	84,385	2647.8	− 2552	95.8	× 457 / 2915	15
7	84,386	2668.8	− 2567	101.8	× 523 / 2915	18.3
8	84,387	2683.5	− 2586	97.5	× 541 / 2915	18.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						89

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	84,557	2524.8	− 2436	88.8	× 320 / 2381	11.9
4	84,558	2574.8	− 2485	89.8	× 396 / 2381	14.9
5	84,559	2599.9	− 2528	71.9	× 358 / 2381	10.8
6	84,560	2647.6	− 2552	95.6	× 414 / 2381	16.6
7	84,561	2666.6	− 2567	99.6	× 424 / 2381	17.7
8	84,562	2674.1	− 2586	88.1	× 469 / 2381	17.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						89

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	84,496	2520.7	− 2436	84.7	× 355 / 2372	12.7
4	84,497	2567.1	− 2485	82.1	× 341 / 2372	11.8
5	84,498	2608.3	− 2528	80.3	× 411 / 2372	13.9
6	84,499	2652.8	− 2552	100.8	× 372 / 2372	15.8
7	84,500	2659.1	− 2567	92.1	× 452 / 2372	17.6
8	84,501	2680.3	− 2586	94.3	× 441 / 2372	17.5
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
3	84,489	2519.0	− 2436	83	× 300 / 2309	10.8
4	84,490	2575.3	− 2485	90.3	× 372 / 2309	14.5
5	84,491	2600.2	− 2528	72.2	× 366 / 2309	11.4
6	84,492	2669.5	− 2552	117.5	× 393 / 2309	20
7	84,493	2663.4	− 2567	96.4	× 420 / 2309	17.5
8	84,494	2684.2	− 2586	98.2	× 458 / 2309	19.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						94

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	84,177	2524.0	− 2436	88	× 348 / 2297	13.3
4	84,178	2571.6	− 2485	86.6	× 313 / 2297	11.8
5	84,179	2606.3	− 2528	78.3	× 376 / 2297	12.8
6	84,180	2667.2	− 2552	115.2	× 369 / 2297	18.5
7	84,181	2678.1	− 2567	111.1	× 454 / 2297	22
8	84,182	2699.1	− 2586	113.1	× 437 / 2297	21.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						100

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	83,954	2524.4	− 2436	88.4	× 295 / 2233	11.7
4	83,955	2584.0	− 2485	99	× 365 / 2233	16.2
5	83,956	2610.2	− 2528	82.2	× 324 / 2233	11.9
6	83,957	2659.6	− 2552	107.6	× 394 / 2233	19
7	83,958	2684.9	− 2567	117.9	× 406 / 2233	21.4
8	83,959	2714.4	− 2586	128.4	× 449 / 2233	25.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						106

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. 80, 86, 86, 89, 89, 89, 89, 94, 100, 106 → 90.8
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: 0 · 2017→2018: 3 · 2018→2019: 0 · 2019→2022: 0 · 2022→2023: 0 · 2023→2024: 5 · 2024→2025: 6 · 2025→2026: 6 → average 2.9
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 2.9 × 2.66 = 7.7. Upper limit 98.5, lower limit 83.1.

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 — for a district, the total across its schools. From 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26.

Los Altos Elementary