Napa Valley Independent Studies: 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
7	46,838	2482.7	− 2567	−84.3	× 12 / 62	−16.3
11	46,842	2503.9	− 2628	−124.1	× 50 / 62	−100.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−116

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
8	43,551	2507.3	− 2586	−78.7	× 18 / 67	−21.1
11	43,554	2507.3	− 2628	−120.7	× 49 / 67	−88.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−109

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
8	44,618	2526.2	− 2586	−59.8	× 12 / 72	−10
11	44,621	2495.5	− 2628	−132.5	× 60 / 72	−110.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−120

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
8	44,635	2520.1	− 2586	−65.9	× 11 / 59	−12.3
11	44,638	2528.5	− 2628	−99.5	× 48 / 59	−80.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−93

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
7	44,770	2545.8	− 2567	−21.2	× 12 / 60	−4.2
11	44,772	2531.1	− 2628	−96.9	× 48 / 60	−77.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−82

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
4	44,519	2443.3	− 2485	−41.7	× 11 / 130	−3.5
5	44,520	2430.8	− 2528	−97.2	× 17 / 130	−12.7
6	44,521	2481.2	− 2552	−70.8	× 13 / 130	−7.1
7	44,522	2463.9	− 2567	−103.1	× 16 / 130	−12.7
8	44,523	2423.7	− 2586	−162.3	× 24 / 130	−30
11	44,524	2489.8	− 2628	−138.2	× 49 / 130	−52.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−118

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
7	44,494	2487.0	− 2567	−80	× 11 / 72	−12.2
8	44,495	2493.0	− 2586	−93	× 25 / 72	−32.3
11	44,496	2481.0	− 2628	−147	× 36 / 72	−73.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−118

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
8	44,334	2458.2	− 2586	−127.8	× 15 / 55	−34.9
11	44,335	2449.4	− 2628	−178.6	× 40 / 55	−129.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−165

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
7	44,063	2476.1	− 2567	−90.9	× 14 / 61	−20.9
8	44,064	2537.2	− 2586	−48.8	× 13 / 61	−10.4
11	44,065	2490.4	− 2628	−137.6	× 34 / 61	−76.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−108

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −116, −109, −120, −93, −82, −118, −118, −165, −108 → −114.3
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 7 · 2016→2017: 11 · 2017→2018: 27 · 2018→2019: 11 · 2019→2022: 36 · 2022→2023: 0 · 2023→2024: 47 · 2024→2025: 57 → average 24.5
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 24.5 × 2.66 = 65.2. Upper limit −49.1, lower limit −179.5.

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. From 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26.