Thomas 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.

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	10,893	2384.8	− 2436	−51.2	× 106 / 394	−13.8
4	10,895	2393.3	− 2485	−91.7	× 108 / 394	−25.1
5	10,897	2419.4	− 2528	−108.6	× 87 / 394	−24
6	10,899	2452.3	− 2552	−99.7	× 93 / 394	−23.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−86

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	9,911	2397.1	− 2436	−38.9	× 100 / 390	−10
4	9,912	2416.0	− 2485	−69	× 101 / 390	−17.9
5	9,914	2411.7	− 2528	−116.3	× 99 / 390	−29.5
6	9,917	2431.7	− 2552	−120.3	× 90 / 390	−27.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−85

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	10,239	2397.8	− 2436	−38.2	× 141 / 431	−12.5
4	10,240	2433.2	− 2485	−51.8	× 93 / 431	−11.2
5	10,242	2431.0	− 2528	−97	× 105 / 431	−23.6
6	10,245	2468.1	− 2552	−83.9	× 92 / 431	−17.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−65

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	10,257	2404.3	− 2436	−31.7	× 106 / 434	−7.7
4	10,258	2425.9	− 2485	−59.1	× 136 / 434	−18.5
5	10,261	2423.4	− 2528	−104.6	× 91 / 434	−21.9
6	10,262	2462.2	− 2552	−89.8	× 101 / 434	−20.9
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	10,337	2396.1	− 2436	−39.9	× 114 / 455	−10
4	10,338	2449.2	− 2485	−35.8	× 109 / 455	−8.6
5	10,339	2446.6	− 2528	−81.4	× 145 / 455	−25.9
6	10,340	2468.5	− 2552	−83.5	× 87 / 455	−16
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−60

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	10,330	2357.8	− 2436	−78.2	× 105 / 377	−21.8
4	10,331	2404.4	− 2485	−80.6	× 97 / 377	−20.7
5	10,332	2422.2	− 2528	−105.8	× 79 / 377	−22.2
6	10,333	2425.5	− 2552	−126.5	× 96 / 377	−32.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−97

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	10,318	2374.2	− 2436	−61.8	× 107 / 400	−16.5
4	10,319	2394.4	− 2485	−90.6	× 116 / 400	−26.3
5	10,320	2423.2	− 2528	−104.8	× 98 / 400	−25.7
6	10,321	2439.4	− 2552	−112.6	× 79 / 400	−22.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−91

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	10,284	2380.4	− 2436	−55.6	× 101 / 418	−13.4
4	10,285	2410.0	− 2485	−75	× 97 / 418	−17.4
5	10,286	2410.6	− 2528	−117.4	× 124 / 418	−34.8
6	10,287	2419.3	− 2552	−132.7	× 96 / 418	−30.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−96

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	10,261	2358.8	− 2436	−77.2	× 127 / 455	−21.5
4	10,262	2422.0	− 2485	−63	× 105 / 455	−14.5
5	10,263	2423.2	− 2528	−104.8	× 102 / 455	−23.5
6	10,264	2429.1	− 2552	−122.9	× 121 / 455	−32.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−92

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −86, −85, −65, −69, −60, −97, −91, −96, −92 → −82.3
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 1 · 2016→2017: 20 · 2017→2018: 4 · 2018→2019: 9 · 2019→2022: 37 · 2022→2023: 6 · 2023→2024: 5 · 2024→2025: 4 → average 10.8
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 10.8 × 2.66 = 28.7. Upper limit −53.6, lower limit −111.

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.