Stella I. Hills 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	16,150	2370.7	− 2436	−65.3	× 78 / 217	−23.5
4	16,151	2385.3	− 2485	−99.7	× 76 / 217	−34.9
5	16,154	2404.0	− 2528	−124	× 63 / 217	−36
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−94

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	15,170	2362.7	− 2436	−73.3	× 74 / 217	−25
4	15,172	2355.0	− 2485	−130	× 77 / 217	−46.1
5	15,174	2399.5	− 2528	−128.5	× 66 / 217	−39.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−110

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	15,487	2367.8	− 2436	−68.2	× 95 / 242	−26.8
4	15,490	2383.9	− 2485	−101.1	× 77 / 242	−32.2
5	15,492	2387.5	− 2528	−140.5	× 70 / 242	−40.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−100

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	15,509	2354.2	− 2436	−81.8	× 98 / 271	−29.6
4	15,510	2383.8	− 2485	−101.2	× 94 / 271	−35.1
5	15,513	2417.7	− 2528	−110.3	× 79 / 271	−32.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−97

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	15,622	2368.6	− 2436	−67.4	× 83 / 278	−20.1
4	15,623	2399.3	− 2485	−85.7	× 90 / 278	−27.7
5	15,624	2407.9	− 2528	−120.1	× 105 / 278	−45.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−93

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	15,661	2349.2	− 2436	−86.8	× 111 / 336	−28.7
4	15,662	2370.4	− 2485	−114.6	× 79 / 336	−26.9
5	15,663	2379.4	− 2528	−148.6	× 73 / 336	−32.3
6	15,664	2398.1	− 2552	−153.9	× 73 / 336	−33.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−121

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	15,613	2338.0	− 2436	−98	× 109 / 352	−30.3
4	15,614	2384.1	− 2485	−100.9	× 89 / 352	−25.5
5	15,615	2386.4	− 2528	−141.6	× 74 / 352	−29.8
6	15,616	2390.5	− 2552	−161.5	× 80 / 352	−36.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−122

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	15,566	2340.3	− 2436	−95.7	× 99 / 364	−26
4	15,567	2378.1	− 2485	−106.9	× 108 / 364	−31.7
5	15,568	2388.6	− 2528	−139.4	× 81 / 364	−31
6	15,569	2389.4	− 2552	−162.6	× 76 / 364	−33.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−123

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	15,553	2343.7	− 2436	−92.3	× 90 / 357	−23.3
4	15,554	2374.6	− 2485	−110.4	× 93 / 357	−28.8
5	15,555	2373.0	− 2528	−155	× 98 / 357	−42.5
6	15,556	2420.2	− 2552	−131.8	× 76 / 357	−28.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−123

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −94, −110, −100, −97, −93, −121, −122, −123, −123 → −109.2
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 16 · 2016→2017: 10 · 2017→2018: 3 · 2018→2019: 4 · 2019→2022: 28 · 2022→2023: 1 · 2023→2024: 1 · 2024→2025: 0 → average 7.9
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 7.9 × 2.66 = 21. Upper limit −88.2, lower limit −130.2.

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.