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An update from Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Sept. 24, 2025
Important Dates
No later than Oct. 1: Post district testing calendar to website
Quick Links
Embargoed Test Results Summary
Final summary-level results for the 2025 Science MCA-IV and Alternate MCA (Alt MCA) are planned to be available by the end of the week in Test Results Summary. These results will be embargoed, meaning districts and schools may begin reviewing and using results for planning purposes but cannot share or discuss them publicly. A separate communication will be sent to District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) when science results are available in Test Results Summary.
Public Release
Final Science MCA-IV and Alt MCA assessment results will be reported publicly by Wednesday, Oct. 1. To accommodate the release of the 2025 results, the Minnesota Report Card will be unavailable Sept. 30, until Oct. 1 at 8 a.m.
After results are released publicly, assessment results information will be available in two places on the MDE website for families, educators, and community members to access.
- The Minnesota Report Card allows users to create graphs and tables to view results for various groups of students across the state as well as within districts and schools. The Minnesota Report Card User Guide (located on the Minnesota Report Card in the Using the Report Card menu choice) provides information on interpreting and using the data on the Report Card.
- The Assessment Files (MDE website > Data Center > Data Reports and Analytics) provide summary assessment data for the state, counties, districts, and schools and are available as Excel (.xlsx) files. The Assessment Files User Guide (linked in the overview paragraph located at the top of the Assessment Files page) provides information about the content of the files; information is also available on the last tab of the files.
Resources
The following resources are also available to help districts use and understand the public release of statewide assessment results:
- MDE has created a new resource to support districts with the release of the new science results and continued academic standards implementation. The Guidance for Science MCA-IV and Alternate MCA Results Release document provides an overview of the revised Minnesota Academic Standards and new statewide assessments in science, as well as guidance and resources for using these results for future planning and continuous improvement for standards implementation. It is posted on the District Resources page under Test Score Interpretation Resources.
- Chapter 11 of the Procedures Manual provides guidelines for using assessment data.
- The recording of the New DAC Reporting Training 2, which is available in the Learning Management System (LMS).
- A Posttest Editing Discrepancies report is available in Test WES. This contains a list of any discrepancies that remained for your district after the close of Posttest Editing. If questions arise about a student’s results (for example, reason for invalidation), this report may be helpful. To review the report, select Posttest Discrepancies under File Transfer on the Test WES Dashboard. The discrepancies on the report cannot be resolved.
Final Science Individual Student Reports Delivery
Final Individual Student Reports (ISRs) for Science MCA and Alternate MCA (Alt MCA) are scheduled to arrive in districts on Wednesday, Oct. 1. Since ISRs contain private student data, it is important for districts to ensure someone is available to receive the reports and secure them until distribution. The final reports shipment will be sent to districts, and each school will have its own box labeled with the school name. For nonpublic schools, final reports will be packaged and shipped directly to each school. Note: UPS cannot guarantee same delivery of all packages; some reports may not be delivered until Oct. 2.
The ISR shipment will include the following:
- Packing list of contents and cover memo (in box 1 for each school)
- for MCA and Alt MCA will be sorted by grade, student demographics, and test administration (MCA or Alt MCA). The packing list indicates the sort order.
Student results labels will be sent in a separate shipment arriving on the same day. All subject results for a student (reading, mathematics, and/or science) appear on the same label.
The following resources related to ISRs are available:
- ISR videos for families: For this first year of new science assessment, a generic ISR video describing changes to the new assessment is provided. The ISR video list file available in PearsonAccess Next Published Reports includes a video hyperlink for each student with a valid score in at least one subject. For science, the file contains a hyperlink to the generic science video for each student who completed the science assessment.
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ISR Quick Guides: These quick guides provide a high-level overview of how to read the ISRs and are posted on MDE’s Assessment Results page for students and families. Translated versions of these resources are also available under Translated Documents. (Note: ISR Quick Guides are also posted on the District Resources page under Test Score Interpretation Resources.)
- Samples of MCA, MTAS, and Alt MCA ISRs on the Individual Student Reports (ISRs) Resources page on the Minnesota Assessment Hub.
If you have any questions regarding your shipment, submit a Pearson help desk request or call the Pearson help desk at 888-817-8659. If you have any questions about the data reported on the ISR, contact mde.testing@state.mn.us.
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Each year, districts are required to have written District Policies and Procedures for Statewide Assessments that address how test security policies and procedures will be implemented. Districts may create their own procedure or use the updated template available on the Policies and Procedures page of the Minnesota Assessment Hub. Note: No new requirements have been added to the topics listed in this template; there have been only minor language clarifications, including adding references to the new Reading Alt MCA and WIDA ACCESS.
The MDE Test Security and Data Integrity (TSDI) team will select a sampling of districts and review their district policies and procedures beginning in October. The TSDI team will then provide feedback and may recommend changes and/or require action. Districts are randomly selected, and District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) at selected districts will be contacted in mid-October with a request for a copy of their District Policies and Procedures. Even if your district is not contacted for an MDE review, ensure your district policies and procedures is in place before testing begins for 2025-26.
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In October, MDE and Pearson will present the New DAC Orientation, which will provide an overview of the various roles and responsibilities of a District Assessment Coordinator (DAC), the statewide assessments administered in Minnesota, relevant MDE and WIDA systems, available resources, and upcoming training opportunities. Pearson will provide information on their systems and available resources. While this training is specifically designed for new DACs, experienced DACs are also welcome to attend.
MDE is offering this training in three formats: an all-day, in-person training event in Northeast Minneapolis, a two-part series of live virtual trainings on back-to-back days, and pre-recorded trainings that will be posted in the Learning Management System (LMS). MDE recommends that DACs attend either the in-person or virtual sessions, if possible, as both will include small break-out groups and opportunities to collaborate with DACs from across the state.
To prepare for the orientation, new DACs are encouraged to review the New District Assessment Coordinators: Getting Access document. This can be found under the District Assessment Coordinator Resources expandable header on the District Resources page on the MDE Statewide Testing website.
Registration links are posted below. Please note: All participants must register for the event using an email address associated with their school, district, or educational agency. MDE will manually approve all registrations prior to the event. Once registrations are approved, participants will receive a confirmation email with the link to the event.
MDE aims to deliver our presentations in a way that will be accessible for our participants. If you anticipate needing accommodations, please contact mde.testing@state.mn.us. MDE requests a two-week advance notice to provide accommodations and a 48-hour notice to cancel them. If the request comes within two weeks of the event, MDE will still make an effort to provide the accommodation.
- Virtual Training on ZoomGov:
- In-person training:
- Date: Monday, Oct. 13
- Location: Delta Hotels by Marriott Minneapolis Northeast, 1330 Industrial Blvd. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
- Time: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
- Register for In-Person Training
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The District Assessment Coordinator Trainings 2025-26 has been updated and posted on the District Resources page of the MDE website (under the District Assessment Coordinator Resources expandable heading). This document provides dates and times for MDE trainings for DACs for planning purposes.
MDE will be offering a combination of in-person and virtual training sessions this upcoming year, with some trainings only offered virtually. All DACs, new and experienced, are invited and welcome to attend all events; however, some of the events are designed specifically to support new DACs in their role. Detailed information, links to prerequisites, and registration information will be provided prior to the event in the weekly Assessment Update. In addition, information about WIDA/Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) and Pearson trainings will be provided in the Assessment Update.
Note: The District Assessment Coordinator Trainings document no longer includes the dates and prerequisite information for MDE’s monthly Q&A Sessions. However, MDE will continue to host Q&A Sessions. Information and registration links for the Q&A Sessions will be communicated in the Assessment Update.
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Districts are required to post a comprehensive testing calendar on the district website; this information may also be posted on school-level websites if the district chooses. The calendar must be published at least one week prior to any eligible assessments being administered, but no later than Oct. 1. Districts may choose how to display the information (for example, in a chart or a calendar format), but it should be presented in a way that is as easy to access as possible. Core requirements for the information that must be included on the district testing calendar have not changed and are detailed in Chapter 6 of the Procedures Manual.
If a district has not yet established specific dates when students will be testing, MDE recommends using previous years’ timeframes as a starting place and then updating them as testing schedules are known or changed. Districts should keep their testing calendar up to date throughout the school year.
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The Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment Division is currently seeking an Education Consultant 3: Computer Science Education Specialist to join the Academic Standards team. This position will provide direction, leadership, and strengthen capacity of school districts and to the Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment team so that all students can meet state academic standards and are prepared for postsecondary and career success in a technology-based future. The Computer Science Education Specialist will serve as the state expert and primary resource for K-12 Computer Science Education and will be responsible for managing grants, facilitating the implementation of the Computer Science State Strategic Plan, and supporting the implementation of statewide academic standards related to computer science.
If you or someone you know may be interested in a new and challenging opportunity, consult the position description and application instructions on the State of Minnesota Careers website. The Job ID is 88679, and the posting is open until Oct. 1. Visit the State of Minnesota Careers website for more information and to apply.
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Reading Alternate MCA Kickoff Meetings
MDE will host regional in-person and online Reading Alternate Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (Alt MCA) Kickoff Meetings. Educators will receive continuing education units. In-person sessions will include interactive activities to engage with the Alt MCA materials.
MTAS/Alt MCA Test Administrators, District Assessment Coordinators, Special Education Directors/Coordinators, and any district staff involved in administering alternate assessments are also welcome to attend; however, the focus will be on the one-on-one administration activities.
Registration is required, and session options are listed below.
- Oct. 2, 9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m. Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) lower level, 400 Stinson Blvd. NE, Minneapolis.
- Oct. 9, 9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m. Beltrami Electric Community Room, 4111 Technology Dr. NW, Bemidji.
- Oct. 21, 9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m. South Central Service Cooperative Conference Center, Pine Room, 2075 Lookout Dr., North Mankato.
- Oct. 14, 9 a.m.-noon (Virtual).
- Oct. 23, 3-5:30 p.m. (Virtual). Note: a recording will be available at a later date.
Register for the Oct. 2 sessions
Register for the Oct. 9 morning session
Register for the Oct. 9 afternoon session
Register for the Oct. 21 sessions
Register for the Oct. 14 virtual session
Register for the Oct. 23 virtual session
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Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Minnesota Department of Education
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