Sylvan 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	62,684	2440.1	− 2552	−111.9	× 178 / 617	−32.3
7	62,686	2472.1	− 2567	−94.9	× 213 / 617	−32.8
8	62,688	2471.9	− 2586	−114.1	× 226 / 617	−41.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−107

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	58,177	2448.6	− 2552	−103.4	× 206 / 630	−33.8
7	58,180	2463.5	− 2567	−103.5	× 224 / 630	−36.8
8	58,181	2494.4	− 2586	−91.6	× 200 / 630	−29.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−100

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	59,862	2454.6	− 2552	−97.4	× 240 / 668	−35
7	59,865	2469.6	− 2567	−97.4	× 206 / 668	−30
8	59,867	2473.3	− 2586	−112.7	× 222 / 668	−37.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−102

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	59,990	2449.6	− 2552	−102.4	× 254 / 745	−34.9
7	59,991	2461.9	− 2567	−105.1	× 260 / 745	−36.7
8	59,994	2478.3	− 2586	−107.7	× 231 / 745	−33.4
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−105

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	60,238	2460.9	− 2552	−91.1	× 268 / 770	−31.7
7	60,239	2465.2	− 2567	−101.8	× 239 / 770	−31.6
8	60,240	2477.0	− 2586	−109	× 263 / 770	−37.2
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	60,306	2430.7	− 2552	−121.3	× 200 / 682	−35.6
7	60,307	2472.0	− 2567	−95	× 236 / 682	−32.9
8	60,308	2464.7	− 2586	−121.3	× 246 / 682	−43.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−112

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	60,257	2411.6	− 2552	−140.4	× 179 / 594	−42.3
7	60,258	2444.6	− 2567	−122.4	× 209 / 594	−43.1
8	60,259	2473.9	− 2586	−112.1	× 206 / 594	−38.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−124

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	60,186	2437.0	− 2552	−115	× 206 / 607	−39
7	60,187	2425.0	− 2567	−142	× 194 / 607	−45.4
8	60,188	2450.7	− 2586	−135.3	× 207 / 607	−46.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−131

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
6	59,943	2443.5	− 2552	−108.5	× 172 / 558	−33.4
7	59,944	2456.3	− 2567	−110.7	× 198 / 558	−39.3
8	59,945	2459.8	− 2586	−126.2	× 188 / 558	−42.5
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−115

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −107, −100, −102, −105, −101, −112, −124, −131, −115 → −110.8
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: 2 · 2017→2018: 3 · 2018→2019: 4 · 2019→2022: 11 · 2022→2023: 12 · 2023→2024: 7 · 2024→2025: 16 → average 7.8
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 7.8 × 2.66 = 20.7. Upper limit −90.1, lower limit −131.5.

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.