Don Stowell Elementary: english

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.

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	44,481	2348.7	− 2432	−83.3	× 96 / 261	−30.6
4	44,484	2378.5	− 2473	−94.5	× 99 / 261	−35.8
5	44,485	2420.0	− 2502	−82	× 66 / 261	−20.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−87

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	41,215	2360.7	− 2432	−71.3	× 94 / 315	−21.3
4	41,217	2378.6	− 2473	−94.4	× 86 / 315	−25.8
5	41,219	2430.0	− 2502	−72	× 83 / 315	−19
6	41,222	2428.9	− 2531	−102.1	× 52 / 315	−16.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−83

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,235	2347.5	− 2432	−84.5	× 80 / 341	−19.8
4	42,237	2397.4	− 2473	−75.6	× 91 / 341	−20.2
5	42,238	2418.1	− 2502	−83.9	× 84 / 341	−20.7
6	42,240	2463.7	− 2531	−67.3	× 86 / 341	−17
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−78

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,248	2358.7	− 2432	−73.3	× 78 / 324	−17.6
4	42,249	2391.6	− 2473	−81.4	× 82 / 324	−20.6
5	42,252	2447.3	− 2502	−54.7	× 82 / 324	−13.8
6	42,253	2465.1	− 2531	−65.9	× 82 / 324	−16.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−69

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,385	2366.0	− 2432	−66	× 74 / 300	−16.3
4	42,386	2397.1	− 2473	−75.9	× 78 / 300	−19.7
5	42,387	2440.0	− 2502	−62	× 78 / 300	−16.1
6	42,388	2475.2	− 2531	−55.8	× 70 / 300	−13
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−65

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,146	2328.9	− 2432	−103.1	× 80 / 320	−25.8
4	42,147	2378.1	− 2473	−94.9	× 93 / 320	−27.6
5	42,148	2430.1	− 2502	−71.9	× 79 / 320	−17.8
6	42,149	2434.9	− 2531	−96.1	× 68 / 320	−20.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−92

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,171	2347.9	− 2432	−84.1	× 89 / 326	−23
4	42,172	2366.1	− 2473	−106.9	× 78 / 326	−25.6
5	42,173	2401.7	− 2502	−100.3	× 94 / 326	−28.9
6	42,174	2446.7	− 2531	−84.3	× 65 / 326	−16.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−94

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	42,002	2340.5	− 2432	−91.5	× 66 / 326	−18.5
4	42,003	2395.7	− 2473	−77.3	× 91 / 326	−21.6
5	42,004	2420.3	− 2502	−81.7	× 80 / 326	−20
6	42,005	2437.3	− 2531	−93.7	× 89 / 326	−25.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−86

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	41,765	2341.7	− 2432	−90.3	× 65 / 306	−19.2
4	41,766	2392.4	− 2473	−80.6	× 73 / 306	−19.2
5	41,767	2434.1	− 2502	−67.9	× 93 / 306	−20.6
6	41,768	2467.8	− 2531	−63.2	× 75 / 306	−15.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−75

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −87, −83, −78, −69, −65, −92, −94, −86, −75 → −81
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 4 · 2016→2017: 5 · 2017→2018: 9 · 2018→2019: 4 · 2019→2022: 27 · 2022→2023: 2 · 2023→2024: 8 · 2024→2025: 11 → average 8.8
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 8.8 × 2.66 = 23.4. Upper limit −57.6, lower limit −104.4.

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.