Los Angeles Unified: 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	26,438	2398.9	− 2436	−37.1	× 45498 / 269861	−6.3
4	26,440	2435.8	− 2485	−49.2	× 44328 / 269861	−8.1
5	26,442	2457.5	− 2528	−70.5	× 43442 / 269861	−11.3
6	26,444	2477.7	− 2552	−74.3	× 36538 / 269861	−10.1
7	26,446	2487.8	− 2567	−79.2	× 35886 / 269861	−10.5
8	26,448	2502.3	− 2586	−83.7	× 37129 / 269861	−11.5
11	26,450	2531.5	− 2628	−96.5	× 27040 / 269861	−9.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−67

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	24,558	2411.2	− 2436	−24.8	× 43846 / 267596	−4.1
4	24,559	2445.7	− 2485	−39.3	× 44504 / 267596	−6.5
5	24,561	2464.4	− 2528	−63.6	× 42901 / 267596	−10.2
6	24,564	2479.4	− 2552	−72.6	× 36387 / 267596	−9.9
7	24,565	2495.3	− 2567	−71.7	× 35869 / 267596	−9.6
8	24,567	2510.4	− 2586	−75.6	× 36080 / 267596	−10.2
11	24,569	2548.0	− 2628	−80	× 28009 / 267596	−8.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−59

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,052	2414.8	− 2436	−21.2	× 42601 / 262953	−3.4
4	25,054	2445.5	− 2485	−39.5	× 42905 / 262953	−6.4
5	25,056	2466.1	− 2528	−61.9	× 43088 / 262953	−10.1
6	25,059	2481.6	− 2552	−70.4	× 35418 / 262953	−9.5
7	25,061	2495.0	− 2567	−72	× 35226 / 262953	−9.6
8	25,062	2507.9	− 2586	−78.1	× 35389 / 262953	−10.5
11	25,065	2542.9	− 2628	−85.1	× 28326 / 262953	−9.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−59

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,075	2417.9	− 2436	−18.1	× 39802 / 256286	−2.8
4	25,077	2452.8	− 2485	−32.2	× 41760 / 256286	−5.2
5	25,079	2472.2	− 2528	−55.8	× 41405 / 256286	−9
6	25,081	2489.4	− 2552	−62.6	× 35900 / 256286	−8.8
7	25,083	2498.6	− 2567	−68.4	× 34353 / 256286	−9.2
8	25,085	2509.6	− 2586	−76.4	× 34642 / 256286	−10.3
11	25,087	2538.3	− 2628	−89.7	× 28424 / 256286	−9.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−55

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,249	2422.3	− 2436	−13.7	× 39071 / 249763	−2.1
4	25,250	2458.0	− 2485	−27	× 39120 / 249763	−4.2
5	25,251	2478.1	− 2528	−49.9	× 40528 / 249763	−8.1
6	25,252	2495.3	− 2552	−56.7	× 34387 / 249763	−7.8
7	25,253	2504.3	− 2567	−62.7	× 34736 / 249763	−8.7
8	25,254	2511.9	− 2586	−74.1	× 34106 / 249763	−10.1
11	25,255	2542.4	− 2628	−85.6	× 27815 / 249763	−9.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−51

2021 from sb_ca2021_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	24,528	2461.1	− 2436	25.1	× 164 / 21348	0.2
4	24,529	2499.9	− 2485	14.9	× 131 / 21348	0.1
5	24,530	2552.7	− 2528	24.7	× 156 / 21348	0.2
11	24,534	2560.4	− 2628	−67.6	× 20897 / 21348	−66.2
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−66

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,196	2409.1	− 2436	−26.9	× 33617 / 219254	−4.1
4	25,197	2442.6	− 2485	−42.4	× 34529 / 219254	−6.7
5	25,198	2464.3	− 2528	−63.7	× 35271 / 219254	−10.2
6	25,199	2478.6	− 2552	−73.4	× 29350 / 219254	−9.8
7	25,200	2488.4	− 2567	−78.6	× 28906 / 219254	−10.4
8	25,201	2495.3	− 2586	−90.7	× 30616 / 219254	−12.7
11	25,202	2513.9	− 2628	−114.1	× 26965 / 219254	−14
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−68

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	25,145	2416.3	− 2436	−19.7	× 32895 / 215707	−3
4	25,146	2451.8	− 2485	−33.2	× 33564 / 215707	−5.2
5	25,147	2469.6	− 2528	−58.4	× 34363 / 215707	−9.3
6	25,148	2479.9	− 2552	−72.1	× 29321 / 215707	−9.8
7	25,149	2491.3	− 2567	−75.7	× 28953 / 215707	−10.2
8	25,150	2493.5	− 2586	−92.5	× 29160 / 215707	−12.5
11	25,151	2517.4	− 2628	−110.6	× 27451 / 215707	−14.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−64

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	24,997	2422.2	− 2436	−13.8	× 31914 / 212131	−2.1
4	24,998	2457.1	− 2485	−27.9	× 32864 / 212131	−4.3
5	24,999	2478.9	− 2528	−49.1	× 33294 / 212131	−7.7
6	25,000	2485.0	− 2552	−67	× 28616 / 212131	−9
7	25,001	2498.9	− 2567	−68.1	× 28585 / 212131	−9.2
8	25,002	2505.3	− 2586	−80.7	× 28891 / 212131	−11
11	25,003	2524.5	− 2628	−103.5	× 27967 / 212131	−13.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−57

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	24,886	2427.8	− 2436	−8.2	× 31588 / 205284	−1.3
4	24,887	2466.2	− 2485	−18.8	× 31591 / 205284	−2.9
5	24,888	2486.8	− 2528	−41.2	× 32361 / 205284	−6.5
6	24,889	2500.1	− 2552	−51.9	× 27136 / 205284	−6.9
7	24,890	2511.5	− 2567	−55.5	× 27622 / 205284	−7.5
8	24,891	2520.2	− 2586	−65.8	× 28275 / 205284	−9.1
11	24,892	2542.9	− 2628	−85.1	× 26711 / 205284	−11.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−45

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −67, −59, −59, −55, −51, −66, −68, −64, −57, −45 → −59.1
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 8 · 2016→2017: 0 · 2017→2018: 4 · 2018→2019: 4 · 2019→2021: 15 · 2021→2022: 2 · 2022→2023: 4 · 2023→2024: 7 · 2024→2025: 12 → average 6.2
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 6.2 × 2.66 = 16.5. Upper limit −42.6, lower limit −75.6.

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.