Alpha Technology Middle: 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
6	60,624	2456.4	− 2552	−95.6	× 32 / 117	−26.1
7	60,626	2502.0	− 2567	−65	× 39 / 117	−21.7
8	60,628	2523.4	− 2586	−62.6	× 46 / 117	−24.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−72

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	56,241	2459.5	− 2552	−92.5	× 25 / 106	−21.8
7	56,244	2437.6	− 2567	−129.4	× 33 / 106	−40.3
8	56,246	2504.8	− 2586	−81.2	× 48 / 106	−36.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−99

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	57,877	2446.7	− 2552	−105.3	× 35 / 88	−41.9
7	57,879	2447.5	− 2567	−119.5	× 19 / 88	−25.8
8	57,880	2478.6	− 2586	−107.4	× 34 / 88	−41.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−109

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	58,011	2462.8	− 2552	−89.2	× 33 / 89	−33.1
7	58,013	2457.2	− 2567	−109.8	× 35 / 89	−43.2
8	58,015	2490.2	− 2586	−95.8	× 21 / 89	−22.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−99

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	58,266	2429.1	− 2552	−122.9	× 19 / 57	−41
7	58,267	2473.8	− 2567	−93.2	× 22 / 57	−36
8	58,268	2499.6	− 2586	−86.4	× 16 / 57	−24.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−101

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	58,307	2472.5	− 2552	−79.5	× 24 / 73	−26.1
7	58,308	2459.1	− 2567	−107.9	× 28 / 73	−41.4
8	58,309	2439.7	− 2586	−146.3	× 21 / 73	−42.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−110

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	58,271	2447.8	− 2552	−104.2	× 28 / 78	−37.4
7	58,272	2480.0	− 2567	−87	× 23 / 78	−25.7
8	58,273	2461.9	− 2586	−124.1	× 27 / 78	−43
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−106

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	58,168	2461.3	− 2552	−90.7	× 26 / 70	−33.7
7	58,169	2476.6	− 2567	−90.4	× 22 / 70	−28.4
8	58,170	2454.0	− 2586	−132	× 22 / 70	−41.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−104

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	57,927	2458.2	− 2552	−93.8	× 19 / 62	−28.7
7	57,928	2471.0	− 2567	−96	× 22 / 62	−34.1
8	57,929	2491.3	− 2586	−94.7	× 21 / 62	−32.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−95

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −72, −99, −109, −99, −101, −110, −106, −104, −95 → −99.4
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 27 · 2016→2017: 10 · 2017→2018: 10 · 2018→2019: 2 · 2019→2022: 9 · 2022→2023: 4 · 2023→2024: 2 · 2024→2025: 9 → average 9.1
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 9.1 × 2.66 = 24.2. Upper limit −75.2, lower limit −123.6.

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