Minnesota Department of Education :

Department of Education Releases Math and Reading MCA-II Results

Roseville – Math and Reading MCA-II test scores increased or stayed relatively steady for most grades in 2009, according to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). The biggest gain in the annual testing was made in 11th-grade math, with about an 8 percent increase over 2008 results.

“Minnesotans can be proud of the progress that has been made toward improving student achievement in several areas,” Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said.  “Our challenge now is to build upon our successes and continue to address existing challenges in order to prepare every one of our students to succeed.” Read news release

MCA-II Reading and Math Results
MCA-II Reading and Math Results PowerPoint

Study Finds Majority of Minnesota Five-Year-Olds Prepared for Kindergarten

A report released by the Minnesota Department of Education today found that the majority of Minnesota children are prepared for kindergarten.  The report also highlighted the need to continue improving school readiness for those children most at-risk of entering kindergarten unprepared. 

“Minnesotans can be proud of their efforts to prepare our young children for success as they enter kindergarten,” Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said. 

The Minnesota School Readiness Study found that between 87 percent and 96 percent of Minnesota five-year-olds were In Process or Proficient in five developmental areas necessary for school success: physical development, the arts, personal and social development, language and literacy, and mathematical thinking.  This compares with between 90 percent and 97 percent in last year’s study. Read news release.

Minnesota Department of Education Announces Graduation Requirement Results

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) announced today that 57 percent of Minnesota 11th-graders met the state’s new and more rigorous math graduation requirement on the first attempt. Additionally, 78 percent of Minnesota 10th-graders met the state’s reading graduation requirement on the first attempt, a three percent increase from 2008. 

MDE also announced that 42 percent of Minnesota 11th-graders scored proficient in the Math MCA-II, which is an eight percent increase from last year.  Seventy-four percent of Minnesota 10th-graders are proficient on the Reading MCA-II, which is a three percent increase over last year. 

“Like last year’s reading results, this year’s math results are another clear indication that if we raise expectations, more of our students will accept the challenge and meet those expectations,” Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said.  “These results highlight the need for Minnesota to continue with its efforts to prepare every Minnesota student for success in the 21st century through greater academic rigor.” Read news release.

Minnesota Vikings, Hunger Solutions Minnesota and Second Harvest Heartland Help Secure 200,000 Meals for Hungry Minnesota Children This Summer

“We know that many Minnesota families struggle to provide healthy and satisfying meals for their children during the summer, which is why the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program is so critical. We are grateful for the generosity, ingenuity and leadership the Minnesota Vikings, Hunger Solutions Minnesota and Second Harvest Heartland have provided in improving the participation rate in Minnesota,”  said Alice Seagren, Minnesota’s Education Commissioner.

“The Vikings Children’s Fund aims to positively impact the well-being of our children and help provide them with the means to be healthy, strong and vibrant members of our community as they grow,” said Steve LaCroix. During the school year, 270,000 Minnesota school children receive free or reduced-price meals but just 54,000 children receive free or reduced-price meals during the summer months, according to the Minnesota Department of Education, which administers both the National School Lunch Program and the Summer Food Service Program. Visit the Vikings Website to view the press conference video.

2009 Student Scholars of Distinction Award Recipients

Commissioner Alice Seagren presented the Scholars of Distinction awards during a May 16 ceremony. The program nurtures and recognizes distinguished achievement by highly motivated students. To earn this recognition, students must complete required work in the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, demonstrate mastery of complex subject matter, and apply their knowledge and skills on challenging projects.

Each student recipient demonstrated expert or highly accomplished levels of performance in one or more areas of Theater Arts, Science, Mathematics, Applied Geography and Leadership. View a complete list of awardees. For additional information, visit the Scholars of Distinction section of the Website.

Minnesota Joins Common Core State Standards Initiative

The following is a statement from Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren regarding Minnesota joining the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a state-led process to develop common English-language arts and mathematics academic standards.

“Minnesota is a national leader in creating rigorous academic standards that are designed to help our students to be work-and-career ready.  By participating in this effort, we will take an active role in helping other states create consistent academic standards that will be as rigorous as Minnesota’s current standards.”

Read the news release from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) on Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Minnesota Announces 2009 Teacher of the Year

Amber Damm, a 7th- and 8th- grade English and Language Arts teacher at Clara Barton Open School in Minneapolis, was awarded the 2009 Minnesota Teacher of the Year on Sunday afternoon by Education Minnesota.

“It’s my pleasure to congratulate Amber Damm on being named Minnesota’s 2009 Teacher of the Year.  Amber Damm’s commitment to discovering how children learn and enriching the relationships with her students and their families demonstrates the impact teachers can have in the classroom and lives of their students. Read news release.  For additional information, visit the National Education Association site and Education Minnesota.

Federal Government Approves Minnesota’s Application for More than Half a Billion Education Stabilization Dollars

Statement from Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren

“We are pleased with the federal government’s quick approval of Minnesota’s application for more than $547 million in education stabilization funds, which will hopefully allow us to more quickly distribute these dollars to schools following the passage of legislation appropriating the funds.  Minnesota’s application is based on Governor Pawlenty’s proposed K-12 budget, which increases education funding and includes reforms to improve student achievement.

“We look forward to working with legislators and educators to use these funds in order to help better prepare every Minnesota student for success after high school.”

Note:  Under Minnesota law, stabilization funds will be allocated through the legislative process and made available following the passage of legislation appropriating the funds. Minnesota may also have to resubmit its application depending on the outcome of the legislative session.

Minnesota Department of Education on Twitter

You can now follow the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on Twitter, which is a free real-time short messaging service. 

Follow MDE at:  http://twitter.com/MDECOM

Updated/Redesigned Federal Stimulus Page 

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has been in the process of reviewing hundreds of pages of guidance from the federal government regarding the allocation of federal stimulus dollars. The federal government will be releasing additional guidance on ARRA reporting requirements and ARRA competitive grant programs.

MDE has updated and redesigned its federal stimulus page to include additional information on ARRA grant programs.  This new page will be updated on a regular basis.   

Q Comp Commentary

The following commentary by Education Commissioner Alice Seagren has been published by the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

STUDENTS WIN WITH Q COMP

When teachers succeed, they do too

Studies show that after parents, teachers have the biggest impact on student success. That's why we are transforming Minnesota's system of education in order to recruit, retain and retrain the best teachers. As a part of that effort, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislators in 2005 created Q Comp to enhance professional development, evaluate performance and reward quality teachers.

Although it has had some critics, Q Comp has been praised by educators, policymakers and leaders from both major political parties, including President Obama.

In order to provide a more complete look at Q Comp, I want to share some key points that weren't fully covered in recent articles and editorials.

Complete commentary can be found at: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/39236362.html?elr=KArksUUUU

Additional Q Comp Resources:

MDE response to Office of the Legislative Auditor Report

HEZEL Q Comp Report

Q Comp Fact Sheet

Department of Education Releases Analysis of Q Comp

Report finds “There is a significant and positive relationship between the number of years a school has been implementing Q Comp and student achievement.”

Roseville, MN – There is a significant and positive relationship between the number of years a school has been implementing Q Comp and student achievement, according to a new analysis conducted by Hezel Associates, LLC, an independent education research and evaluation firm. The analysis, conducted on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Education, was released today. Read news release. View the report. View Q Comp overview.

Business and Education Leaders Launch Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Web Portal

Education Commissioner Alice Seagren and Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) President Kate Rubin today announced the launch of www.getSTEM-mn.com, a Web portal for Minnesota educators and businesses to build relationships and collaborate to match STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education needs with STEM businesses resources. “Minnesota educators are working to prepare students for careers rich in math, technology, science and engineering skills,” said Education Commissioner Alice Seagren. “The getSTEM Web portal will connect teachers with interactive and exciting learning resources they need to provide the rigorous and relevant learning that will prepare students for success.” Read news release.

Governor Pawlenty Highlights Education Proposals in State of the State

• During his recent State of the State Address, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty laid out several initiatives to improve and reform Minnesota’s system of K-12 Education, including:
  
  --  Making Minnesota the nation’s leader in teacher preparation and training by passing the “Teaching Transformation Act.”
  --  Expanding Q Comp to every school district and charter school in the state to provide additional funding to schools and continue the transition to paying for performance.
  --  Providing additional K-12 education funding through a new program that will provide up to an additional 2 percent per student for every student meeting standards or at least showing reasonable growth towards achievement.
  --  Fixing the current teachers union-school district labor system that allows teachers to strike by using a fair arbitration process.
  --  Passing school district shared services legislation to save on purchases of IT, food services, textbooks and supplies and put more money into the classroom.
  
  A summary of the Governor’s proposals from the State of the State Address can be found on the Governor's Website.  View Governor Tim Pawlenty's Website.
  

Increasing Awareness of Military Issues Within Minnesota Schools

Thousands of Minnesotans serve our country in the military and in turn, thousands of military families and children are impacted by their service. As leaders in education, we want every educator to know that children in their classrooms and schools may be affected by the military service of a parent or family member.

The Minnesota Department of Education has partnered with Governor Pawlenty’s Yellow Ribbon Task Force and other educational organizations to increase awareness of military issues within Minnesota schools. As part of this effort, we are making available informational resources for military children, families and educators.