Desert Garden 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	14,914	2404.7	− 2436	−31.3	× 49 / 193	−7.9
4	14,917	2448.9	− 2485	−36.1	× 31 / 193	−5.8
5	14,918	2433.6	− 2528	−94.4	× 43 / 193	−21
6	14,921	2502.9	− 2552	−49.1	× 70 / 193	−17.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−53

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	13,942	2417.7	− 2436	−18.3	× 47 / 202	−4.3
4	13,944	2438.2	− 2485	−46.8	× 62 / 202	−14.4
5	13,947	2496.2	− 2528	−31.8	× 38 / 202	−6
6	13,949	2462.2	− 2552	−89.8	× 55 / 202	−24.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−49

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	14,277	2415.4	− 2436	−20.6	× 46 / 208	−4.6
4	14,279	2456.1	− 2485	−28.9	× 57 / 208	−7.9
5	14,281	2452.5	− 2528	−75.5	× 66 / 208	−24
6	14,284	2505.5	− 2552	−46.5	× 39 / 208	−8.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−45

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	14,286	2422.5	− 2436	−13.5	× 51 / 230	−3
4	14,287	2435.0	− 2485	−50	× 58 / 230	−12.6
5	14,290	2486.5	− 2528	−41.5	× 57 / 230	−10.3
6	14,291	2457.5	− 2552	−94.5	× 64 / 230	−26.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−52

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	14,379	2447.3	− 2436	11.3	× 53 / 260	2.3
4	14,380	2452.2	− 2485	−32.8	× 65 / 260	−8.2
5	14,381	2475.7	− 2528	−52.3	× 70 / 260	−14.1
6	14,382	2500.8	− 2552	−51.2	× 72 / 260	−14.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−34

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	14,384	2434.5	− 2436	−1.5	× 50 / 236	−0.3
4	14,385	2397.5	− 2485	−87.5	× 53 / 236	−19.7
5	14,386	2448.0	− 2528	−80	× 70 / 236	−23.7
6	14,387	2454.0	− 2552	−98	× 63 / 236	−26.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−70

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	14,345	2420.8	− 2436	−15.2	× 45 / 233	−2.9
4	14,346	2419.4	− 2485	−65.6	× 56 / 233	−15.8
5	14,347	2455.9	− 2528	−72.1	× 54 / 233	−16.7
6	14,348	2483.6	− 2552	−68.4	× 78 / 233	−22.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−58

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	14,300	2458.2	− 2436	22.2	× 51 / 214	5.3
4	14,301	2417.7	− 2485	−67.3	× 39 / 214	−12.3
5	14,302	2467.5	− 2528	−60.5	× 60 / 214	−17
6	14,303	2472.6	− 2552	−79.4	× 64 / 214	−23.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−48

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	14,260	2421.8	− 2436	−14.2	× 51 / 223	−3.2
4	14,261	2439.1	− 2485	−45.9	× 52 / 223	−10.7
5	14,262	2456.0	− 2528	−72	× 51 / 223	−16.5
6	14,263	2514.6	− 2552	−37.4	× 69 / 223	−11.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−42

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −53, −49, −45, −52, −34, −70, −58, −48, −42 → −50.1
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: 4 · 2017→2018: 7 · 2018→2019: 18 · 2019→2022: 36 · 2022→2023: 12 · 2023→2024: 10 · 2024→2025: 6 → average 12.1
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 12.1 × 2.66 = 32.2. Upper limit −17.9, lower limit −82.3.

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.