ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota students continue to struggle in the wake of the pandemic, according to numbers released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Education (DOE).
New 2023 Statewide Assessment and Accountability Data indicates students statewide saw a 2% decrease in science scores, a 1% dip in reading and a 1% increase in math scores, among other trends. Overall, scores in assessment areas remain about 10% below where they were pre-pandemic.
"These statewide assessment results reinforce what we and other states around the country already know - our students, families, school communities, and educators are continuing to recover from the pandemic and need our support,” said DOE Commissioner Willie Jett. “This data is important as one part of a broader set of measures that tell us how our students and families are doing and what we need to do in partnership with our school communities to provide support for students to not only recover, but also excel.”
Here's a closer look at the assessment results.
Reading
Students take statewide reading assessments in grades 3-8 and grade 10. Of the students who took the reading MCA and MTAS, 49.9% met or exceeded grade-level standards, down 1.2 percentage points from 2022 scores.
Science
The science MCA and MTAS are administered for students in grades five and eight and once in high school. In 2023, 39.2% of students who took the assessments met or exceeded standards.
Math
In math, 45.5% of students in grades 3-8 and 11 who took the MCA or MTAS met or exceeded grade level standards, up 0.7 percentage points from 2022.
For the first time since 2019, the DOE also released attendance data, with numbers representing the 2021-22 school year. North Star attendance data tracks the number of students statewide attending school at least 90% of the time who are not chronically absent. Consistent attendance in 2021-22 was at 69.8% of students, significantly down from the 85% prior to the pandemic.
"We will not shy away from what the data are telling us. These results send a renewed sense of urgency and underscore the importance of key supports that are already underway," Commissioner Jett said.
For more on the new assessment numbers, how your district did and breakdowns in a number of categories, check out The Minnesota Report Card and the MDE Data Center.
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