Walter White 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	96,431	2377.9	− 2436	−58.1	× 97 / 427	−13.2
4	96,432	2403.6	− 2485	−81.4	× 108 / 427	−20.6
5	96,435	2405.4	− 2528	−122.6	× 97 / 427	−27.9
6	96,437	2467.5	− 2552	−84.5	× 125 / 427	−24.7
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−86

2016 from sb_ca2016_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	89,471	2358.4	− 2436	−77.6	× 101 / 415	−18.9
4	89,473	2402.3	− 2485	−82.7	× 107 / 415	−21.3
5	89,475	2439.5	− 2528	−88.5	× 112 / 415	−23.9
6	89,476	2446.9	− 2552	−105.1	× 95 / 415	−24.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−88

2017 from sb_ca2017_1_csv_v2.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	92,076	2377.8	− 2436	−58.2	× 93 / 392	−13.8
4	92,078	2393.4	− 2485	−91.6	× 88 / 392	−20.6
5	92,081	2430.2	− 2528	−97.8	× 97 / 392	−24.2
6	92,082	2455.8	− 2552	−96.2	× 114 / 392	−28
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−87

2018 from sb_ca2018_1_csv_v3.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	92,277	2387.8	− 2436	−48.2	× 84 / 394	−10.3
4	92,279	2418.4	− 2485	−66.6	× 87 / 394	−14.7
5	92,281	2408.8	− 2528	−119.2	× 103 / 394	−31.2
6	92,283	2473.3	− 2552	−78.7	× 120 / 394	−24
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−80

2019 from sb_ca2019_1_csv_v4.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	92,923	2411.5	− 2436	−24.5	× 63 / 297	−5.2
4	92,924	2400.6	− 2485	−84.4	× 61 / 297	−17.3
5	92,925	2435.5	− 2528	−92.5	× 76 / 297	−23.7
6	92,926	2438.4	− 2552	−113.6	× 97 / 297	−37.1
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−83

2022 from sb_ca2022_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	93,160	2378.4	− 2436	−57.6	× 71 / 239	−17.1
4	93,161	2366.7	− 2485	−118.3	× 60 / 239	−29.7
5	93,162	2412.9	− 2528	−115.1	× 56 / 239	−27
6	93,163	2435.8	− 2552	−116.2	× 52 / 239	−25.3
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−99

2023 from sb_ca2023_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	93,060	2371.7	− 2436	−64.3	× 57 / 230	−15.9
4	93,061	2391.5	− 2485	−93.5	× 60 / 230	−24.4
5	93,062	2395.9	− 2528	−132.1	× 59 / 230	−33.9
6	93,063	2451.6	− 2552	−100.4	× 54 / 230	−23.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−98

2024 from sb_ca2024_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	92,943	2352.8	− 2436	−83.2	× 77 / 267	−24
4	92,944	2371.6	− 2485	−113.4	× 63 / 267	−26.8
5	92,945	2394.5	− 2528	−133.5	× 60 / 267	−30
6	92,946	2448.9	− 2552	−103.1	× 67 / 267	−25.9
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−107

2025 from sb_ca2025_1_csv_v1.zip

Grade	Line in file	Average score	Standard Met	Distance	Students	Weighted
3	92,675	2377.6	− 2436	−58.4	× 66 / 267	−14.4
4	92,676	2370.9	− 2485	−114.1	× 73 / 267	−31.2
5	92,677	2382.8	− 2528	−145.2	× 65 / 267	−35.3
6	92,678	2430.7	− 2552	−121.3	× 63 / 267	−28.6
Sum, rounded to a whole point						−110

Step 2 · The average and the normal range

Average: add the yearly results and divide by how many there are. −86, −88, −87, −80, −83, −99, −98, −107, −110 → −93.1
Typical year-to-year change: how far the result moved from each year to the next, ignoring up or down. 2015→2016: 2 · 2016→2017: 1 · 2017→2018: 7 · 2018→2019: 3 · 2019→2022: 16 · 2022→2023: 1 · 2023→2024: 9 · 2024→2025: 3 → average 5.3
Normal range: multiply the typical change by 2.66, then add it to the average and subtract it. 5.3 × 2.66 = 14.1. Upper limit −79, lower limit −107.2.

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.