Santa Margarita 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	76,966	2441.5	− 2436	5.5	× 74 / 332	1.2
4	76,968	2459.9	− 2485	−25.1	× 77 / 332	−5.8
5	76,970	2500.3	− 2528	−27.7	× 55 / 332	−4.6
6	76,972	2517.7	− 2552	−34.3	× 63 / 332	−6.5
7	76,974	2527.9	− 2567	−39.1	× 35 / 332	−4.1
8	76,976	2564.2	− 2586	−21.8	× 28 / 332	−1.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−22

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	71,302	2456.9	− 2436	20.9	× 80 / 326	5.1
4	71,305	2485.0	− 2485	0	× 65 / 326	0
5	71,307	2505.2	− 2528	−22.8	× 59 / 326	−4.1
6	71,308	2533.4	− 2552	−18.6	× 48 / 326	−2.7
7	71,311	2570.7	− 2567	3.7	× 47 / 326	0.5
8	71,312	2563.4	− 2586	−22.6	× 27 / 326	−1.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−3

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	73,177	2457.4	− 2436	21.4	× 76 / 341	4.8
4	73,179	2494.5	− 2485	9.5	× 68 / 341	1.9
5	73,181	2525.4	− 2528	−2.6	× 58 / 341	−0.4
6	73,183	2531.5	− 2552	−20.5	× 57 / 341	−3.4
7	73,185	2551.8	− 2567	−15.2	× 40 / 341	−1.8
8	73,187	2591.4	− 2586	5.4	× 42 / 341	0.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						2

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	73,315	2458.0	− 2436	22	× 62 / 291	4.7
4	73,317	2510.9	− 2485	25.9	× 47 / 291	4.2
5	73,319	2510.5	− 2528	−17.5	× 62 / 291	−3.7
6	73,321	2532.7	− 2552	−19.3	× 44 / 291	−2.9
7	73,323	2576.0	− 2567	9	× 47 / 291	1.5
8	73,325	2577.7	− 2586	−8.3	× 29 / 291	−0.8
Sum, rounded to a whole point						3

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	73,777	2474.6	− 2436	38.6	× 67 / 282	9.2
4	73,778	2502.8	− 2485	17.8	× 57 / 282	3.6
5	73,779	2512.2	− 2528	−15.8	× 41 / 282	−2.3
6	73,780	2526.2	− 2552	−25.8	× 47 / 282	−4.3
7	73,781	2560.8	− 2567	−6.2	× 34 / 282	−0.7
8	73,782	2627.6	− 2586	41.6	× 36 / 282	5.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						11

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	73,935	2427.3	− 2436	−8.7	× 47 / 262	−1.6
4	73,936	2459.1	− 2485	−25.9	× 53 / 262	−5.2
5	73,937	2493.4	− 2528	−34.6	× 43 / 262	−5.7
6	73,938	2511.8	− 2552	−40.2	× 52 / 262	−8
7	73,939	2521.2	− 2567	−45.8	× 37 / 262	−6.5
8	73,940	2553.3	− 2586	−32.7	× 30 / 262	−3.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−31

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	73,917	2449.0	− 2436	13	× 70 / 262	3.5
4	73,918	2471.5	− 2485	−13.5	× 35 / 262	−1.8
5	73,919	2511.0	− 2528	−17	× 50 / 262	−3.2
6	73,920	2483.4	− 2552	−68.6	× 34 / 262	−8.9
7	73,921	2516.9	− 2567	−50.1	× 46 / 262	−8.8
8	73,922	2534.1	− 2586	−51.9	× 27 / 262	−5.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−25

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	73,899	2392.6	− 2436	−43.4	× 55 / 272	−8.8
4	73,900	2496.6	− 2485	11.6	× 58 / 272	2.5
5	73,901	2495.9	− 2528	−32.1	× 35 / 272	−4.1
6	73,902	2509.6	− 2552	−42.4	× 47 / 272	−7.3
7	73,903	2519.7	− 2567	−47.3	× 34 / 272	−5.9
8	73,904	2512.9	− 2586	−73.1	× 43 / 272	−11.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−35

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	73,573	2396.3	− 2436	−39.7	× 44 / 239	−7.3
4	73,574	2462.4	− 2485	−22.6	× 45 / 239	−4.3
5	73,575	2555.2	− 2528	27.2	× 44 / 239	5
6	73,576	2504.1	− 2552	−47.9	× 31 / 239	−6.2
7	73,577	2536.0	− 2567	−31	× 44 / 239	−5.7
8	73,578	2542.7	− 2586	−43.3	× 31 / 239	−5.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−24

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −22, −3, 2, 3, 11, −31, −25, −35, −24 → −13.8
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 19 · 2016→2017: 5 · 2017→2018: 1 · 2018→2019: 8 · 2019→2022: 42 · 2022→2023: 6 · 2023→2024: 10 · 2024→2025: 11 → average 12.8
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 12.8 × 2.66 = 34. Upper limit 20.2, lower limit −47.8.

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.