MTAS Parent InformationAccountability Programs :

The Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) is Minnesota’s alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards. The MTAS is part of the statewide assessment program and measures the extent to which students with significant cognitive disabilities are making progress in the general curriculum.  The MTAS is administered for reading, mathematics and science.

The parent brochure provides an overview and answers frequently asked questions about the MTAS.  The brochure is provided here in English, plus the three other languages most commonly spoken by Minnesota students.

View parent brochure in English. Translations: Hmong, Somali, Spanish

A recording of a narrated presentation of information for parents about the MTAS. (37 minutes, 3.5 MB)  has been created for parent use. View Parent Guide to the MTAS.  Download and print the accompanying PowerPoint file if you wish to take notes while viewing the presentation.

The National Center on Educational Outcomes has developed additional information that can help parents understand statewide assessments and how the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) work together to improve the academic achievement of students with disabilities. Read the report * NCLB and IDEA: What Parents of Students with Disabilities Need to Know & Do.

* Links to third-party sites are provided as a service to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Website visitors. See our disclaimer regarding these sites in our copyright information linked at the bottom of this page. Links will open in a new browser window.