Venture Academy: science

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 each grade's bar

California tests science only in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, so a school shows one or two grades here. Each grade's science test has its own scale, so each grade is measured against its own bar.

All students

5th The average 5th grader scores 22 points under the grade 5 bar. 192 vs. 214.
8th The average 8th grader scores 17 points under the grade 8 bar. 398 vs. 415.
11th The average 11th grader scores 14 points under the grade 11 bar. 601 vs. 615.

Students fluent in English

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

Each grade's 5th 51 students 21 points under the grade 5 bar. 8th 107 students 15 points under the grade 8 bar. 11th 200 students 12 points under the grade 11 bar.

English learners

Students leave this group as they become fluent, so its average stays low even where they learn well.

Each grade's 5th 12 students 26 points under the grade 5 bar. 8th 15 students 34 points under the grade 8 bar. 11th 22 students 28 points under the grade 11 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.

2019 from cast_ca2019_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	21,244	188.0	− 214	−26	× 59 / 388	−4
8	21,245	395.8	− 415	−19.2	× 116 / 388	−5.7
12	21,246	593.2	− 615	−21.8	× 213 / 388	−12
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−22

2021 from cast_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	22,662	195.4	− 214	−18.6	× 53 / 340	−2.9
8	22,663	394.6	− 415	−20.4	× 122 / 340	−7.3
12	22,664	596.8	− 615	−18.2	× 165 / 340	−8.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−19

2022 from cast_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	26,454	198.1	− 214	−15.9	× 61 / 353	−2.7
8	26,455	390.2	− 415	−24.8	× 120 / 353	−8.4
12	26,456	595.4	− 615	−19.6	× 172 / 353	−9.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−21

2023 from cast_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	26,424	196.3	− 214	−17.7	× 52 / 555	−1.7
8	26,425	391.1	− 415	−23.9	× 121 / 555	−5.2
11	26,426	595.9	− 615	−19.1	× 198 / 555	−6.8
12	26,427	596.4	− 615	−18.6	× 184 / 555	−6.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−20

2024 from cast_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	26,496	184.8	− 214	−29.2	× 58 / 456	−3.7
8	26,497	398.1	− 415	−16.9	× 87 / 456	−3.2
11	26,498	595.8	− 615	−19.2	× 259 / 456	−10.9
12	26,499	603.9	− 615	−11.1	× 52 / 456	−1.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−19

2025 from cast_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	26,463	191.8	− 214	−22.2	× 64 / 414	−3.4
8	26,464	395.1	− 415	−19.9	× 110 / 414	−5.3
11	26,465	599.8	− 615	−15.2	× 229 / 414	−8.4
12	26,466	590.0	− 615	−25	× 11 / 414	−0.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−18

2026 from cast_ca2026_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
5	26,370	191.8	− 214	−22.2	× 63 / 407	−3.4
8	26,371	397.9	− 415	−17.1	× 122 / 407	−5.1
11	26,372	601.0	− 615	−14	× 222 / 407	−7.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−16

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −22, −19, −21, −20, −19, −18, −16 → −19.3
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2019→2021: 3 · 2021→2022: 2 · 2022→2023: 1 · 2023→2024: 1 · 2024→2025: 1 · 2025→2026: 2 → average 1.7
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 1.7 × 2.66 = 4.5. Upper limit −14.8, lower limit −23.8.

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.