Mother Lode Union 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	9,164	2427.9	− 2436	−8.1	× 147 / 732	−1.6
4	9,167	2467.0	− 2485	−18	× 115 / 732	−2.8
5	9,168	2471.0	− 2528	−57	× 119 / 732	−9.3
6	9,171	2537.0	− 2552	−15	× 130 / 732	−2.7
7	9,172	2544.1	− 2567	−22.9	× 114 / 732	−3.6
8	9,175	2551.6	− 2586	−34.4	× 107 / 732	−5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−25

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	8,249	2402.0	− 2436	−34	× 124 / 741	−5.7
4	8,250	2476.5	− 2485	−8.5	× 147 / 741	−1.7
5	8,252	2487.6	− 2528	−40.4	× 115 / 741	−6.3
6	8,254	2522.7	− 2552	−29.3	× 122 / 741	−4.8
7	8,256	2549.0	− 2567	−18	× 127 / 741	−3.1
8	8,259	2575.7	− 2586	−10.3	× 106 / 741	−1.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−23

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	8,519	2394.3	− 2436	−41.7	× 107 / 701	−6.4
4	8,521	2455.8	− 2485	−29.2	× 123 / 701	−5.1
5	8,522	2482.1	− 2528	−45.9	× 132 / 701	−8.6
6	8,524	2536.1	− 2552	−15.9	× 117 / 701	−2.7
7	8,526	2548.5	− 2567	−18.5	× 106 / 701	−2.8
8	8,528	2568.7	− 2586	−17.3	× 116 / 701	−2.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−28

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	8,554	2412.2	− 2436	−23.8	× 107 / 674	−3.8
4	8,557	2447.4	− 2485	−37.6	× 111 / 674	−6.2
5	8,558	2459.0	− 2528	−69	× 109 / 674	−11.2
6	8,561	2523.3	− 2552	−28.7	× 133 / 674	−5.7
7	8,562	2526.6	− 2567	−40.4	× 110 / 674	−6.6
8	8,565	2565.1	− 2586	−20.9	× 104 / 674	−3.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−37

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	8,607	2428.2	− 2436	−7.8	× 98 / 676	−1.1
4	8,608	2449.4	− 2485	−35.6	× 111 / 676	−5.8
5	8,609	2469.5	− 2528	−58.5	× 103 / 676	−8.9
6	8,610	2494.5	− 2552	−57.5	× 118 / 676	−10
7	8,611	2523.1	− 2567	−43.9	× 128 / 676	−8.3
8	8,612	2539.5	− 2586	−46.5	× 118 / 676	−8.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−42

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	8,562	2407.1	− 2436	−28.9	× 93 / 556	−4.8
4	8,563	2460.3	− 2485	−24.7	× 94 / 556	−4.2
5	8,564	2444.8	− 2528	−83.2	× 81 / 556	−12.1
6	8,565	2492.9	− 2552	−59.1	× 89 / 556	−9.5
7	8,566	2476.6	− 2567	−90.4	× 106 / 556	−17.2
8	8,567	2485.8	− 2586	−100.2	× 93 / 556	−16.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−65

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	8,540	2404.2	− 2436	−31.8	× 109 / 580	−6
4	8,541	2443.6	− 2485	−41.4	× 96 / 580	−6.9
5	8,542	2453.2	− 2528	−74.8	× 94 / 580	−12.1
6	8,543	2517.5	− 2552	−34.5	× 88 / 580	−5.2
7	8,544	2474.5	− 2567	−92.5	× 88 / 580	−14
8	8,545	2487.2	− 2586	−98.8	× 105 / 580	−17.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−62

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	8,478	2415.3	− 2436	−20.7	× 90 / 576	−3.2
4	8,479	2427.6	− 2485	−57.4	× 104 / 576	−10.4
5	8,480	2459.0	− 2528	−69	× 96 / 576	−11.5
6	8,481	2482.1	− 2552	−69.9	× 96 / 576	−11.7
7	8,482	2515.3	− 2567	−51.7	× 94 / 576	−8.4
8	8,483	2473.0	− 2586	−113	× 96 / 576	−18.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−64

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	8,441	2400.5	− 2436	−35.5	× 78 / 546	−5.1
4	8,442	2453.0	− 2485	−32	× 87 / 546	−5.1
5	8,443	2456.8	− 2528	−71.2	× 99 / 546	−12.9
6	8,444	2486.0	− 2552	−66	× 98 / 546	−11.8
7	8,445	2499.6	− 2567	−67.4	× 91 / 546	−11.2
8	8,446	2501.0	− 2586	−85	× 93 / 546	−14.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−61

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −25, −23, −28, −37, −42, −65, −62, −64, −61 → −45.2
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 2 · 2016→2017: 5 · 2017→2018: 9 · 2018→2019: 5 · 2019→2022: 23 · 2022→2023: 3 · 2023→2024: 2 · 2024→2025: 3 → average 6.5
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 6.5 × 2.66 = 17.3. Upper limit −27.9, lower limit −62.5.

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.