MCA results released in late August:
should parents be concerned?

MCA test scores serve as a report card for school districts statewide

MCA results released in late August: should parents be concerned?
By Tim Spitzack | Editor | August 2025

In late August, parents of public-school students may review the results of the spring Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs), which show how students and school districts measure up against state educational standards. The testing is conducted annually for students in grades 3 and higher in reading, math and science, and in recent years the data has been discouraging. Last year, less than half the students statewide met state standards, and scores in 2023 were nearly identical. Scores of school districts in the St. Paul Voice distribution area show more work is needed locally as well.
The St. Paul Voice contacted district superintendents for their thoughts on the testing and what their districts are doing to increase student performance. MCA scores for individual schools and school districts can be found at education.mn.gov by viewing the Minnesota Report Card, under the Data Center link.

St. Paul Public Schools
– Last year 25.9% of students met standards in math, 34.1% in reading and 25.4% in science
– Statewide scores were 44.5% math, 49.9% reading and 39.6% science
– By comparison, scores at the Edina Public School District, one of the top in the state, were 71.7% math, 75.4% reading and 66.5% science

Superintendent Stacie Stanley, who started at St. Paul Public Schools on May 12 after serving as superintendent of the Edina Public School District, said Minnesota state education standards are “definitely more complex” than when she was a student decades ago, and that many factors affect academic performance. For example, she said students today are learning some geometry concepts in the fourth grade that she herself learned in the tenth grade. Nonetheless, she said the district needs to keep pace with state standards.

“Kids across all districts come to school with such diverse learning profiles,” she said. “We need a curriculum that is aligned with the state standards, from kindergarten to twelfth grade. We cannot minimize the impact of great teachers and strong school leaders, and we need high quality academic support…with a laser-like focus on what kids specifically need to learn. That’s the foundation. From there, there are so many other things.” Three that specifically affect test scores are English as a Second Language students, attendance and parental involvement.

In addition to the MCA, St. Paul Public Schools does its own internal assessments in fall, winter and spring. The FastBridge assessment data show which students are on a college pathway, and those who are at low risk, moderate risk or high risk for experiencing learning barriers.

“That’s really important because we look at the growth of our students along the way,” said Stanley. “Teachers do progress monitoring as well…and that data is being used on a weekly to biweekly basis with our teachers and principals.”

Two changes implemented in recent years are already boosting student performance by double-digit numbers in reading and math at some schools. The district has invested millions of dollars into hiring teachers trained as reading specialists, said Stanley, and it has a new math curriculum for the elementary school level. Last year, the district had 56 reading specialists but this year the number has been reduced to 41 due to budget cuts. For the 2024-25 school year, the district trimmed $115.4 million from its budget and for the coming school year cut another $51.1 million.

“We’ve really tried to keep that out of the classrooms and from impacting our kids,” said Stanley. “About 73% [of the cuts] was administrative.”

The number of students taking the MCAs can also skew the overall data for school districts. Students may opt-out of testing but only with parental consent. Last year in St. Paul Public Schools, 87% completed the science MCA, 89% math and 92% reading.

Stanley said strong parental involvement helps both students and school districts be more successful.

“We have Parent Teacher Organizations and also Parent Advisory Councils, and I’m really pleased with that,”
she said. “We have an office of Family Involvement, and they do some amazing work in engaging our families around what families need in order to help their students be successful in school.”

ISD 197 (West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan)
– Last year 43.7% of students met standards in math, 51.6% in reading and 46.3% in science
– Statewide scores were 44.5% math, 49.9% reading and 39.6% science

Superintendent Peter Olson-Skog agrees that Minnesota has high educational proficiency standards compared to other states, each of which sets its own academic standards and has its own standardized tests.

“The MCAs are not designed to measure individual student performance; they are designed to measure the school district’s success in reading, math and science instruction based on the Minnesota Academic Standards,” he said. “MCAs are also not reliable when evaluating grade-level or school performance. The most reliable use of the MCAs is to see trends over time at the district level. For parents who want a measurement of their children’s performance in school, we suggest reviewing their students’ MCA test results in conjunction with other available information, such as FastBridge assessments, course grades, and performance on unit assessments in tested subject areas. That will give a more complete picture of how their student is performing in school.”

Olson-Skog said the district is continuously reviewing and enhancing its curriculum, analyzing academic practices and investing in teacher training.

“At the district level, we develop a strategic improvement plan each year that includes implementation targets based on data, including MCA test scores, as well as input from committee surveys and other sources,” he said. “We also have a comprehensive local literacy plan dedicated to supporting students who aren’t yet reading at grade level. This
plan includes developing individualized literacy intervention plans to ensure that each student receives tailored support.” In addition, each school in the district has a Continuous Improvement Plan that sets academic goals and details specific actions to address challenges, and each teacher develops a professional growth plan goal to enhance student academic achievement.

Olson-Skog said that while MCA testing is important, his district views student achievement on a broader scale.

“Our community has consistently told us, through surveys and focus groups, that they want us to take a more holistic approach to student achievement,” he said. “They value qualities such as critical thinking, civic-mindedness, life skills, time management, problem-solving, empathy, strong friendships, and supportive relationships with peers and staff. We believe these are all indicators of a student’s overall success and well-being, and they are things we actively foster within our schools.”

Special District 6 (South St. Paul)
– Last year 25.5% of students met standards in math, 39% in reading and 27.2% in science
– Statewide scores were 44.5% math, 49.9% reading and 39.6% science
– By comparison, scores at the Edina Public School District, one of the top in the state, were 71.7% math, 75.4% reading and 66.5% science

South St. Paul Superintendent Brian Zambreno said Minnesota has high education proficiency standards compared to other states and that rigor has increased over time. For example, when he was a student decades ago students learned algebra in 9th grade and geometry in 10th grade. Today, he said many students are taking geometry as early as 8th grade, and that the MCAs now test for algebra in 8th grade. He also said some physical science concepts once taught in 8th grade are now being taught in the 6th grade.

“The MCAs are always a little tricky, in part because it’s a little confusing on what it means from the individual perspective versus a school district or a school,” he said. “When you go to the broader scale, that’s where it becomes more reliable. Over the past three years we’ve seen growth across all our measures: math, science and reading.”

In addition to the MCAs, the district does its own internal assessments, and new this year is a district-wide scorecard that educators will review every 6-8 weeks, allowing them to make adjustments as needed.

“We do formative assessments throughout the school year,” said Zambreno. “Every fall we screen our students in math and reading and that allows us to identify our students who are at no risk, some risk or high risk…and it allows us to make real-time instructional decisions. Then we can diagnose what is the root cause of that challenge.” Parents may review the FastBridge data on their children with teachers to identify where more support is needed.

The district reviews its curriculum on a 6-year cycle to ensure it aligns with state standards. Math was reviewed in 2019, reading in 2022 and science this year. Zambreno said the district was ahead of the curve when it adopted its reading curriculum, which turned out to be the curriculum the state adopted following the READ Act (Reading to Ensure Academic Development) in 2023. As a result of the READ Act, school districts are required to have a trained reading specialist to work with students and teachers alike to make sure students are reading at or above grade level.

“We adopted a curriculum in literacy two years ago called Wit and Wisdom and we’re seeing a really big increase in rigor around literacy, in particular around writing,” said Zambreno. The district added a reading specialist two years ago.
Furthermore, each school has its own instructional leadership team and continuous improvement plan to identify goals in math, reading, and other areas such as social-emotional well-being for kids.

“We accept every kid where they are,” said Zambreno. “If you’re an advanced learner, we need to push you and grow you. If you’re an average kid, fine, most of us are, then let’s give you lots of opportunities to explore and try things. If a student has needs that are more than normal, that’s okay, too. We’re going to back those [students] and support them. We really look at how we build out a highly individualized plan and approach for each one of our kids.”

In addition, Special District 6 continues to help students build life skills and explore career opportunities. Last year it hired a college and career counselor to work with high schoolers.

• Facebook
• ShareCopied to clipboard

<<< Back to Home