AssessmentsAccountability Programs : Minnesota Department of Education

Assessments

Assessments

State assessments provide teachers and school administrators with valuable information about the academic status of all students in Minnesota. Detailed information about each of Minnesota's statewide assessments is available by selecting the section links on the right. A brief definition for each of our state's regularly administered assessments is listed below.

  • The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) and English Language Learner (ELL) Tests are part of the No Child Left Behind accountability system. The Reading and Mathematics MCAs are used to calculate Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), a system for measuring the academic progress of a school’s or district’s students.
  • The Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) is Minnesota’s alternate assessment for mathematics, reading and science designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The MTAS in reading and mathematics was administered for the first time in spring 2007 and science in spring 2008.
  • The Graduation-Required Assessments for Diploma (GRAD) are state tests that fulfill Minnesota’s high school graduation requirement for students who first entered grade 8 in 2005-06 or later. These tests measure student performance on essential skills in writing, reading and mathematics.
  • The Basic Skills Tests (BSTs) are the reading, mathematics and writing tests that students have had to pass in order to graduate. They are being phased out and will be replaced by the GRAD tests. Students who are seniors in 2008-09 are the last cohort required to pass these three tests.
  • PLAN and EXPLORE, part of ACT's EPAS series (Educational Planning and Assessment System), are available to districts under a grant from the state of Minnesota. These tests measure preparation for college-level work.
  • National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the federal program that annually assesses the academic achievement of samples of students in all states.
2007-08 Minnesota Assessments: Interpretive Guide  3Mb (7/15/2008)
     A guide to help educators and parents understand the results of the 2007-08 Minnesota assessments. The guide includes a description of the Individual Student Report (ISR) as well as guidance on interpreting test data.
2007 Minnesota Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) report  645Kb (12/9/2008)
     Analysis of Minnesota Student Results
2008 Minnesota Statewide Assessment Results - Math and Reading  169Kb (6/30/2008)
    
2008 Minnesota Statewide Assessment Results - Science  73Kb (8/19/2008)
    
MCA Test Preparation Suggestions for Teachers and Parents  87Kb (11/13/2007)