San Bernardino City Unified: english learners

This chart follows students who are still learning English. Each dot shows how close the typical English learner was to fluent that year, on the state's English test for English learners.

More about this chart

Who is in it

When a student starts school in California and their family speaks another language at home, the student takes an English screening test. Students who aren't yet fluent are English learners. Every spring, every English learner, kindergarten through grade 12, takes the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (the ELPAC) until they are fluent. Students who are already fluent in English are never on this chart.

What it measures

English itself: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Not math, not science. The test sorts students into four levels:

Level 1: Minimally Developed
Level 2: Somewhat Developed
Level 3: Moderately Developed
Level 4: Well Developed, close to fluent

What a dot means

How far the typical English learner's score was from the Level 4 mark that year. Zero means right at Level 4; below zero means short of it. A dot at −80 means the school's English learners averaged 80 points below Level 4.

The catch

This group keeps changing. When an English learner becomes fluent (reaching Level 4 is a big part of that), they are reclassified as fluent and stop taking the test. Each year the strongest students leave and new beginners arrive. So a school doing a great job can still look flat, because its successes keep leaving the chart.

Two smaller things

The small numbers under each year count English learners only, not the whole school.
The houses show the free or reduced-price meal share for the whole school. The state doesn't publish it for English learners separately.

What a change would look like

Dots climbing above the upper limit would mean English learners are reaching fluency faster than the current system "wants". Because the students who succeed keep leaving the group, a rise here understates the improvement behind it, which makes this one of the hardest charts to move.

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 English learner's score is right at Level 4, "Well Developed". 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 "Level 4" 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.

2018 from sa_elpac2018_all_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Level 4	Distance	Students	Weighted
K	678,913	1418.8	− 1474	−55.2	× 1730 / 12233	−7.8
1	678,594	1457.3	− 1507	−49.7	× 1661 / 12233	−6.7
2	678,623	1476.9	− 1532	−55.1	× 1509 / 12233	−6.8
3	678,650	1488.2	− 1535	−46.8	× 1376 / 12233	−5.3
4	678,676	1498.8	− 1549	−50.2	× 1193 / 12233	−4.9
5	678,699	1516.3	− 1560	−43.7	× 1148 / 12233	−4.1
6	678,721	1518.6	− 1567	−48.4	× 957 / 12233	−3.8
7	678,747	1519.6	− 1576	−56.4	× 636 / 12233	−2.9
8	678,768	1525.7	− 1590	−64.3	× 492 / 12233	−2.6
9	678,790	1515.1	− 1606	−90.9	× 396 / 12233	−2.9
10	678,813	1531.0	− 1606	−75	× 441 / 12233	−2.7
11	678,835	1527.3	− 1615	−87.7	× 407 / 12233	−2.9
12	678,859	1453.2	− 1615	−161.8	× 287 / 12233	−3.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−57

2019 from sa_elpac2019_all_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Level 4	Distance	Students	Weighted
K	791,718	1416.4	− 1474	−57.6	× 1505 / 10159	−8.5
1	791,356	1440.8	− 1507	−66.2	× 1515 / 10159	−9.9
2	791,384	1470.0	− 1532	−62	× 1167 / 10159	−7.1
3	791,415	1480.0	− 1535	−55	× 1027 / 10159	−5.6
4	791,446	1496.1	− 1549	−52.9	× 863 / 10159	−4.5
5	791,473	1509.2	− 1560	−50.8	× 829 / 10159	−4.1
6	791,498	1514.9	− 1567	−52.1	× 790 / 10159	−4.1
7	791,525	1516.1	− 1576	−59.9	× 626 / 10159	−3.7
8	791,552	1519.9	− 1590	−70.1	× 509 / 10159	−3.5
9	791,577	1531.8	− 1606	−74.2	× 435 / 10159	−3.2
10	791,603	1530.0	− 1606	−76	× 356 / 10159	−2.7
11	791,630	1528.0	− 1615	−87	× 403 / 10159	−3.5
12	791,658	1399.5	− 1615	−215.5	× 134 / 10159	−2.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−63

2021 from sa_elpac2021_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Level 4	Distance	Students	Weighted
K	46,831	1397.8	− 1474	−76.2	× 1014 / 8691	−8.9
1	46,818	1412.1	− 1507	−94.9	× 1125 / 8691	−12.3
2	46,819	1448.8	− 1532	−83.2	× 1158 / 8691	−11.1
3	46,820	1471.8	− 1535	−63.2	× 1222 / 8691	−8.9
4	46,821	1483.1	− 1549	−65.9	× 861 / 8691	−6.5
5	46,822	1493.6	− 1560	−66.4	× 785 / 8691	−6
6	46,823	1500.6	− 1567	−66.4	× 572 / 8691	−4.4
7	46,824	1524.3	− 1576	−51.7	× 488 / 8691	−2.9
8	46,825	1531.5	− 1590	−58.5	× 398 / 8691	−2.7
9	46,826	1529.8	− 1606	−76.2	× 319 / 8691	−2.8
10	46,827	1528.0	− 1606	−78	× 285 / 8691	−2.6
11	46,828	1538.5	− 1615	−76.5	× 258 / 8691	−2.3
12	46,829	1500.0	− 1615	−115	× 206 / 8691	−2.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−74

2022 from sa_elpac2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Level 4	Distance	Students	Weighted
K	47,051	1404.6	− 1474	−69.4	× 1197 / 10071	−8.2
1	47,038	1425.1	− 1507	−81.9	× 1046 / 10071	−8.5
2	47,039	1457.5	− 1532	−74.5	× 1188 / 10071	−8.8
3	47,040	1477.2	− 1535	−57.8	× 1154 / 10071	−6.6
4	47,041	1503.5	− 1549	−45.5	× 1242 / 10071	−5.6
5	47,042	1514.2	− 1560	−45.8	× 889 / 10071	−4
6	47,043	1520.4	− 1567	−46.6	× 795 / 10071	−3.7
7	47,044	1527.6	− 1576	−48.4	× 505 / 10071	−2.4
8	47,045	1541.7	− 1590	−48.3	× 487 / 10071	−2.3
9	47,046	1530.3	− 1606	−75.7	× 445 / 10071	−3.3
10	47,047	1529.4	− 1606	−76.6	× 421 / 10071	−3.2
11	47,048	1531.7	− 1615	−83.3	× 367 / 10071	−3
12	47,049	1547.3	− 1615	−67.7	× 335 / 10071	−2.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−62

2023 from sa_elpac2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Level 4	Distance	Students	Weighted
K	46,871	1405.2	− 1474	−68.8	× 1180 / 9889	−8.2
1	46,858	1431.3	− 1507	−75.7	× 976 / 9889	−7.5
2	46,859	1462.0	− 1532	−70	× 1055 / 9889	−7.5
3	46,860	1476.1	− 1535	−58.9	× 1118 / 9889	−6.7
4	46,861	1502.1	− 1549	−46.9	× 1086 / 9889	−5.2
5	46,862	1520.3	− 1560	−39.7	× 1121 / 9889	−4.5
6	46,863	1524.6	− 1567	−42.4	× 796 / 9889	−3.4
7	46,864	1533.8	− 1576	−42.2	× 604 / 9889	−2.6
8	46,865	1544.0	− 1590	−46	× 417 / 9889	−1.9
9	46,866	1536.5	− 1606	−69.5	× 427 / 9889	−3
10	46,867	1543.9	− 1606	−62.1	× 418 / 9889	−2.6
11	46,868	1535.7	− 1615	−79.3	× 384 / 9889	−3.1
12	46,869	1540.1	− 1615	−74.9	× 307 / 9889	−2.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−58

2024 from sa_elpac2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Level 4	Distance	Students	Weighted
K	46,663	1394.1	− 1474	−79.9	× 1296 / 9690	−10.7
1	46,650	1419.8	− 1507	−87.2	× 944 / 9690	−8.5
2	46,651	1456.1	− 1532	−75.9	× 1006 / 9690	−7.9
3	46,652	1472.6	− 1535	−62.4	× 1015 / 9690	−6.5
4	46,653	1494.6	− 1549	−54.4	× 1054 / 9690	−5.9
5	46,654	1510.8	− 1560	−49.2	× 943 / 9690	−4.8
6	46,655	1516.2	− 1567	−50.8	× 913 / 9690	−4.8
7	46,656	1523.4	− 1576	−52.6	× 543 / 9690	−2.9
8	46,657	1526.8	− 1590	−63.2	× 500 / 9690	−3.3
9	46,658	1512.3	− 1606	−93.7	× 383 / 9690	−3.7
10	46,659	1531.1	− 1606	−74.9	× 403 / 9690	−3.1
11	46,660	1526.7	− 1615	−88.3	× 370 / 9690	−3.4
12	46,661	1535.2	− 1615	−79.8	× 320 / 9690	−2.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−68

2025 from sa_elpac2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Level 4	Distance	Students	Weighted
K	46,435	1400.3	− 1474	−73.7	× 906 / 9043	−7.4
1	46,422	1421.1	− 1507	−85.9	× 934 / 9043	−8.9
2	46,423	1459.4	− 1532	−72.6	× 915 / 9043	−7.3
3	46,424	1471.8	− 1535	−63.2	× 940 / 9043	−6.6
4	46,425	1493.6	− 1549	−55.4	× 934 / 9043	−5.7
5	46,426	1507.7	− 1560	−52.3	× 961 / 9043	−5.6
6	46,427	1515.6	− 1567	−51.4	× 766 / 9043	−4.4
7	46,428	1527.6	− 1576	−48.4	× 702 / 9043	−3.8
8	46,429	1529.3	− 1590	−60.7	× 492 / 9043	−3.3
9	46,430	1514.9	− 1606	−91.1	× 453 / 9043	−4.6
10	46,431	1523.1	− 1606	−82.9	× 364 / 9043	−3.3
11	46,432	1537.3	− 1615	−77.7	× 386 / 9043	−3.3
12	46,433	1531.1	− 1615	−83.9	× 290 / 9043	−2.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−67

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −57, −63, −74, −62, −58, −68, −67 → −64.1
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2018→2019: 6 · 2019→2021: 11 · 2021→2022: 12 · 2022→2023: 4 · 2023→2024: 10 · 2024→2025: 1 → average 7.3
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 7.3 × 2.66 = 19.4. Upper limit −44.7, lower limit −83.5.

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.