Minnesota Department of Education Prioritizes Schools for Enhanced Learning Recovery Support Through COMPASS
Statewide assessment results for 2022 released, reinforcing need for support
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) announced it is expanding COMPASS (Collaborative Minnesota Partnerships to Advance Student Success), the state’s support system for schools, to meet the demand for enhanced teaching and learning resources for students and staff. This year, COMPASS will serve 371 public schools including 15 entire school districts that have been identified for varying levels of support through Minnesota’s North Star accountability system. Schools identified will receive coordinated support and training from MDE and the Regional Centers of Excellence over the next three years.
“As a former school teacher, new school years have always been filled with hope and signaled new beginnings for students, families, and staff. While our lives are returning to a sense of normalcy, we know our schools are in need of ongoing support as they work to meet our students where they are now and take them to where they need to be by the end of this school year,” said Education Commissioner Dr. Heather Mueller. “That’s why MDE is strengthening our partnership with school communities to provide them with the support they need so all students can have the successful school year they deserve.”
Today’s release of the 2022 North Star Accountability report contains results of the 2022 statewide assessments, which include the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs), Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS), ACCESS for ELLs (English Language Learners) and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs. These assessment results generally show slight declines in the number of students meeting or exceeding grade level standards when compared to 2021.
"These statewide assessment results reinforce what we already know – our students, families, school communities and educators need us to continue to meet this moment,” said Commissioner Mueller. “As education colleagues, MDE remains committed to providing support, through COMPASS, to every school in Minnesota as they strive to meet the academic, social-emotional and mental health needs of each and every one of their students.”
The North Star accountability system was first launched in 2018 as a part of Minnesota’s federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan. Of the 371 public schools that have been identified to receive support over the next three years, Minnesota will prioritize the highest level of comprehensive support to 46 schools working to improve outcomes across multiple measures, 103 high schools with graduation rates below 67 percent overall, and 48 schools that have one or more student groups below performance thresholds for multiple measures in both 2018 and 2022. Schools prioritized by MDE for comprehensive support will work with the state’s Regional Centers of Excellence. Regional Center staff provide specialized support to schools in areas including multi-tiered systems of support, literacy, math, and social-emotional learning to meet the needs of every student, including students of color, Indigenous students, students with disabilities, students from low-income families, and English learners. More targeted support will be provided to 58 schools that may need to focus on a single student group, and another 52 schools linked to identified schools focused on credit and dropout recovery will receive support in coordination with those credit and dropout recovery schools. Finally, 64 schools who were identified in 2018 and not otherwise identified in 2022 will continue to receive support. MDE’s ESSA State Plan as well as amendments to the plan that Minnesota submitted this year may be viewed on our website.
Statewide assessment and accountability results are available on the Minnesota Report Card and in MDE’s Data Center.
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