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An update from Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Vol. 2, No. 9: May 6, 2024
The Power of the Minnesota Bilingual Seals Awards on Multilingual Learners
In a recent study that examined the benefits of earning a Seal of Biliteracy, researchers interviewed Minnesota students who graduated high school with a Minnesota Bilingual Seals award. The study article shares some powerful student quotes.
- Earning a “physical, touchable reward” made one student feel seen for the first time.
- “I wasn't planning to go to college, but when I got the award, I was like, yeah, let me get the college degree too.”
- “Everyone says college is hard, so I felt like if I could just pass this, then maybe I could do college too.”
These statements reveal the power of the Bilingual Seals on the multilingual learners whose languages have not been historically recognized in the school system. The study article discusses some other benefits such as boosting job and career opportunities and a strengthened familial connection. Read the study to learn more the findings and consider how your district can empower multilingual learners.
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Minnesota Computer Science State Plan
Minnesota’s Computer Science Working Group developed a state strategic plan for computer science, finalized in March 2024, which describes 10 recommendations for long-term and sustained growth of computer science education across all public K–12 and charter schools in Minnesota, as outlined in the Computer Science Education Advancement Act. Minn. Stat. 120B.241 (2023). The recommendations are aligned to the requirements outlined in the legislation, such as licensure, high-quality professional development, continuous improvement, and standards, among others.
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Ethnic Studies Working Group
In support of the Ethnic Studies legislation passed in the 2023 legislative session, the Minnesota Department of Education Ethnic Studies Working Group met April 15–16. This working group consists of teachers with experience teaching Ethnic Studies to students in kindergarten to grade 8, parents or guardians of public kindergarten through grade 12 students, Ethnic Studies high school teachers, school board members or school administrators (including curriculum directors or directors of teaching and learning), Minnesota-based college-level faculty experts in Ethnic Studies, and community members with a demonstrated commitment to Ethnic Studies or education about Minnesota’s racial, ethnic, religious, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or cultural diversity. The working group members are listed in the 2024 Ethnic Studies Working Group Member document.
Additionally, the working group includes public school students in grades 11 and 12 during either the 2023–24 or 2024–25 school year. See the Ethnic Studies Working Group Assumptions for Students.
The working group is responsible for developing an Ethnic Studies framework and resources to support school districts and charter schools in implementing the Ethnic Studies requirements. Dates for the working group meetings can be found in the Ethnic Studies Working Group Assumptions for Students document.
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Statewide Testing Report Redesign Survey is Open
The Minnesota Department of Education is excited to launch the Statewide Testing Redesign Survey. Your voice and the perspectives of your community are important to this effort as new academic standards are adopted in science, reading, and math, along with new assessments. The survey asks about how you receive, interpret, and use statewide assessment results. Your feedback will help MDE ensure the results from the new assessments students take beginning in Spring 2025 are as clear and useful as possible.
The survey is now open for submissions until May 19. It should take no more than 15 minutes and responses will be anonymous.
MDE is hoping individuals in these groups will share their perspective:
- Students in grades 8–12
- Families of students in grades K–12
- Classroom educators
- School-level leadership staff
- District-level leadership staff
- Assessment coordinators
- Community group members and leaders
- State agency staff
Please share the link with your staff and families. MDE appreciates your support in gathering feedback from these groups and thanks you in advance. Your expertise is critical to this process and we know your time is valuable. If you have any questions, please contact mde.testing@state.mn.us.
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Supporting Positive Psychosocial Development of Students with Gifts and Talents
What: This virtual workshop will be presented by Tracy L. Cross, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Gifted Education, and Executive Director of the W&M Center for Gifted Education and the Institute for Research on the Suicide of Gifted Students and Jennifer Riedl Cross, Ph.D., Director of Research at the William & Mary Center for Gifted Education.
When: May 16, 12:30–2:30 p.m.
How: Registration is free and restricted to educators, administrators, psychologists and counselors.
Register for the Supporting Positive Psychosocial Development of Students with Gifts and Talents workshop.
The workshop will be recorded, and access provided to all registrants following the event.
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Summer Arts Education PD
What: Arts educators will have multiple opportunities to deepen learning in culturally responsive and equity-focused arts education this summer. Offerings will include: Native Arts Institute and Cohort, Culturally Responsive Arts Curriculum Institute and Cohort, Muslim Youth Voice In Arts Education: Institute and Community Conversation, and more.
How: Please visit MDE’s Culturally Responsive Arts Education page for more details and registration information. More offerings may be added in May. These opportunities are made possible in part by a U.S. Department of Education Assistance for Arts Education grant.
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Summer Elementary Social Studies PD
What: The Minnesota Council for Economic Education (MCEE) is hosting a day-long opportunity for K–8 educators focused on integrating economics with history, geography, citizenship and government and ethnic studies. Hear from a range of experts in elementary social studies education as schools begin to prepare for implementation of the social studies standards in the 2026–27 school year, including MDE social studies and ethnic studies content specialists.
When: June 18, 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
Where: University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus
How: Register through MCEE at Econ Olympics.
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Final Alternate Assessment Coffee Break of the Series
What: Meet with Academic Standards Instruction and Assessment Division staff and MTAS test administrators and special education staff who administer the MTAS to give feedback and ask questions.
Why: Discuss MTAS Individual Student Reports, learn about big changes to alternate assessments coming in Spring 2025, share your feedback and connect with other special education staff from across the state.
When: May 14, 4–5 p.m.
Where: Via Zoom.
How: Register for the coffee break
Contact: Alt.Assessment.MDE@state.mn.us
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Empower {MN:CS}
Who: K–12 Educators, Administrators, Counselors, Coaches
What: Presented by MDE, Northern Lights Collaborative for Computing Education, Raspberry Pi Foundation, CSforAll-MN, and CSTA-MN, Empower {MN:CS} is an in-person professional learning experience designed to provide K–12 educators with the guidance, support, and resources they need to create a computer science pathway in their school districts. This year, participants will choose a workshop that best aligns with their personal goals and interests. Along with these engaging, hands-on workshops, there will be opportunities to network and engage with other educators through a variety of presentations and events.
Where: University of Minnesota
When: Aug. 13–15
How: Register on the Empower {MN:CS} website
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To the Benchmarks and Beyond: In Pursuit of Effective Reading Assessment Passages
When searching for worthwhile Reading MCA and the Reading Alternate MCA passages, test developers look to satisfy several goals. Foremost, passages must present ample opportunities for measuring reading comprehension skills included in the current standards and benchmarks. Published and commissioned literary and informational text passages from a variety of genres must be grade appropriate for general content, text complexity, and vocabulary. In order to effectively inform instruction for students, passages on statewide reading comprehension assessments must allow students of all ability levels to demonstrate understanding of, familiarity, and adeptness with grade-level reading skills.
In addition to delivering skills-rich passages, Minnesota test developers strive to provide qualitative passage elements regarded by the field to be important. To the degree possible, passages are sought from existing published sources, or new passages are written, with qualities that specifically (1) promote reader engagement through authentic presentation of grade-level interests and (2) are socially and culturally affirming. Offering passages that represent the interests and particular lived experience of students provides reading engagement, motivation, and skills growth. Delivering passages with these satisfying qualities is therefore an important focus for reading test development.
Research abounds on quality and depth of reader engagement and their connection to reader success. Many recent studies confirm findings that support this connection. In their research with elementary and middle grade students, Ana Taboada Barber and Susan Lutz Klauda (2020) found clear evidence that higher levels of motivation and engagement contribute to deeper reading that helps students attain more understanding and leads to reading advancement across grade levels. Recognition of this connection by policymakers will provide pathways to create more productive programs for student readers. Researchers Sarah McGeown and Kristin Conradi-Smith (2024) worked with teachers and children to develop a Reading Engagement Scale that measures reading experience and promotes strengthening of students’ ability to get more benefit from their reading. The findings of these researchers illustrate the importance of the behavioral, cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of reading engagement, and they include practical ideas for applying the engagement scale.
McGeown and Smith’s article describes many other researchers’ positions on the importance of the affective dimension of reading engagement, stressing among other benefits the opportunity of “immersing oneself in a book, relating personal experiences to text content, using ones’ [sic] imagination, and empathizing with characters.” A widely supported position is that “reading can be associated with well-being (Clark & Teravainen-Goff, 2018) and reduced prejudice toward others” (Vezzali et al., 2015). Such conclusions from research over time support Minnesota test developers’ intention of providing culturally affirming passages that can promote affective engagement. Reading passages that provide opportunities for students to find something both personal and universal they can relate to by seeing themselves and their experiences, or by empathizing with their peers and their peers’ experiences, will give students a richer testing experience and an enhanced opportunity to do their best work on the Reading MCA or the Reading Alternate MCA.
Statewide reading assessments must provide passages that present opportunities for students to demonstrate their reading comprehension skills. Test developers also strive to mirror classroom best practice by presenting engaging reading passages that represent authentic experiences within the rich cultural mosaic that comprises the student body throughout Minnesota.
Resources:
Barber, A. T., & Klauda, S. L. (2020). How Reading Motivation and Engagement Enable Reading Achievement: Policy Implications. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 7(1), 27-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732219893385
McGeown, S., & Smith, K.C. (2024). Reading Engagement Matters! A New Scale to Measure and Support Children's Engagement with Books. Read Teach, 77: 462-472. https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trtr.2267
Clark, C., & Teravainen-Goff, A. (2018). Mental wellbeing, reading and writing. National Literacy Trust. https://cdn.literacytrust.org.uk/media/documents/Mental_wellbeing_reading_and_writing_2017-18_-_final.pdf
Vezzali, L., Stathi, S., Giovannini, D., Capozza, D., & Trifiletti, E. (2015). The greatest magic of Harry potter: Reducing prejudice: Harry potter and attitudes toward stigmatized groups. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 45 (2), 105–121. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12279.
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Division of Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
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