Sycamore 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 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 5.

3rd The average 3rd grader scores 13 points under the grade 3 bar. 2423 vs. 2436.
4th The average 4th grader scores 22 points under the grade 4 bar. 2463 vs. 2485.
5th The average 5th grader scores 32 points under the grade 4 bar. 2453 vs. 2485. The 5th-grade bar is 2528.

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
3	104,197	2421.8	− 2436	−14.2	× 64 / 215	−4.2
4	104,198	2505.3	− 2485	20.3	× 63 / 215	5.9
5	104,201	2497.5	− 2528	−30.5	× 70 / 215	−9.9
6	104,202	2500.8	− 2552	−51.2	× 18 / 215	−4.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−12

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	96,806	2455.8	− 2436	19.8	× 51 / 207	4.9
4	96,808	2475.7	− 2485	−9.3	× 62 / 207	−2.8
5	96,809	2527.8	− 2528	−0.2	× 67 / 207	−0.1
6	96,811	2510.4	− 2552	−41.6	× 27 / 207	−5.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−3

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	99,605	2450.9	− 2436	14.9	× 50 / 182	4.1
4	99,607	2489.2	− 2485	4.2	× 54 / 182	1.2
5	99,608	2503.6	− 2528	−24.4	× 62 / 182	−8.3
6	99,610	2491.3	− 2552	−60.7	× 16 / 182	−5.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−8

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	99,764	2457.2	− 2436	21.2	× 50 / 178	6
4	99,766	2481.7	− 2485	−3.3	× 48 / 178	−0.9
5	99,768	2490.1	− 2528	−37.9	× 51 / 178	−10.9
6	99,770	2510.2	− 2552	−41.8	× 29 / 178	−6.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−13

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	100,429	2435.0	− 2436	−1	× 46 / 174	−0.3
4	100,430	2503.4	− 2485	18.4	× 52 / 174	5.5
5	100,431	2505.8	− 2528	−22.2	× 48 / 174	−6.1
6	100,432	2476.3	− 2552	−75.7	× 28 / 174	−12.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−13

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	98,290	2412.9	− 2436	−23.1	× 42 / 135	−7.2
4	98,291	2484.5	− 2485	−0.5	× 33 / 135	−0.1
5	98,292	2478.0	− 2528	−50	× 41 / 135	−15.2
6	98,293	2520.4	− 2552	−31.6	× 19 / 135	−4.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−27

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	100,668	2412.9	− 2436	−23.1	× 43 / 140	−7.1
4	100,669	2455.9	− 2485	−29.1	× 43 / 140	−8.9
5	100,670	2482.1	− 2528	−45.9	× 35 / 140	−11.5
6	100,671	2451.7	− 2552	−100.3	× 19 / 140	−13.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−41

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	100,502	2421.0	− 2436	−15	× 42 / 160	−3.9
4	100,503	2465.0	− 2485	−20	× 50 / 160	−6.3
5	100,504	2473.8	− 2528	−54.2	× 55 / 160	−18.6
6	100,505	2455.9	− 2552	−96.1	× 13 / 160	−7.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−37

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	100,377	2421.1	− 2436	−14.9	× 52 / 173	−4.5
4	100,378	2449.8	− 2485	−35.2	× 50 / 173	−10.2
5	100,379	2469.4	− 2528	−58.6	× 50 / 173	−16.9
6	100,380	2464.5	− 2552	−87.5	× 21 / 173	−10.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−42

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	100,052	2435.1	− 2436	−0.9	× 45 / 144	−0.3
4	100,053	2446.5	− 2485	−38.5	× 51 / 144	−13.6
5	100,054	2475.8	− 2528	−52.2	× 48 / 144	−17.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−31

2026 from sb_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	99,713	2422.6	− 2436	−13.4	× 42 / 133	−4.2
4	99,714	2463.0	− 2485	−22	× 42 / 133	−6.9
5	99,715	2453.3	− 2528	−74.7	× 49 / 133	−27.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−39

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −12, −3, −8, −13, −13, −27, −41, −37, −42, −31, −39 → −24.2
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 9 · 2016→2017: 5 · 2017→2018: 5 · 2018→2019: 0 · 2019→2021: 14 · 2021→2022: 14 · 2022→2023: 4 · 2023→2024: 5 · 2024→2025: 11 · 2025→2026: 8 → average 7.5
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 7.5 × 2.66 = 20. Upper limit −4.2, lower limit −44.2.

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.