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An update from Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Oct. 1, 2025
Quick Links
Final Science MCA-IV and Alt MCA assessment results are now 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.
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.
Final Science Individual Student Reports Delivery
Final Individual Student Reports (ISRs) for Science MCA and Alt MCA are scheduled to arrive in districts today. 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: Student results labels, if requested in Test WES, 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.
UPS cannot guarantee same-day delivery of all packages; some shipments may not be delivered until Oct. 2. 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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The 2025-26 Procedures Manual for Minnesota Statewide Assessments is now available on the Policies and Procedures page of the Minnesota Assessment Hub. The Procedures Manual has been prepared for District Assessment Coordinators (DACs), administrators, and others with a role in administering statewide assessments. It provides MDE’s policies and procedures for implementing statewide assessments and using the results in your district or charter school.
There are a variety of ways to use the manual:
- Keep an electronic copy on your computer and make frequent use of the Find function (Ctrl + F, Command + F).
- Review the “What’s New” list in Chapter 1 and use the “New!” and “Info!” symbols to search for information that is new or clarified for this year.
- Use the “jump to” feature in the table of contents to go to specific chapters or sections.
For new DACs, MDE will discuss how to use the Procedures Manual as a reference and suggest ways to break up the content throughout the school year during New DAC Orientation. Note: The Important Dates for Test Administration resource will not be included in the Procedures Manual. Instead, this will be posted as a separate resource on the Policies and Procedures page of the Minnesota Assessment Hub.
When DACs have questions or need clarification about anything in the Procedures Manual, they can contact MDE at mde.testing@state.mn.us.
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The Subscore Report is now available on the Minnesota Assessment Hub. The report provides an easy way for the public to access school, district, and state level subscore data, also known as strand performance levels/content area performance details, on the MCAs. Users can generate charts and graphs by student groups that may be used for school and district instructional decision-making and planning at the subscore or strand performance level/content area performance detail.
The Subscore Report contains strand performance levels/content area performance details for Reading and Mathematics MCA-III, Science MCA-III, and Science MCA-IV. The strand performance levels/content area performance details are determined by comparing the school or district performance to the state expectation at the "Meets" achievement/performance level; this is reported as Below Expectations (B), At or Near Expectations (N), and Above Expectations (A).
Refer to the Subscore Report User Guide for additional information. For questions, please contact the Pearson help desk at 888-817-8659 or submit a help desk request online.
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As academic standards are revised, the assessments that are aligned to the standards must also change. The Minnesota statewide assessment program will continue to undergo changes over the next few years, as outlined by the graphic below. In 2025-26, there will be two changes: WIDA ACCESS and Reading MCA/Alternate MCA (Alt MCA).
 WIDA ACCESS Changes
The revised WIDA ACCESS (formerly ACCESS for ELLs) and WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten (formerly Kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs) are English language proficiency accountability assessment aligned to the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. Both assess English language development in four language domains: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing. WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten remains paper-based and has been redesigned with fewer materials, a single storyline, new task types, and revised scoring rubrics. WIDA ACCESS for grades 1-12 continues to be administered primarily online, with updated Speaking and Writing rubrics introduced for 2025-26 while the testing experience stays the same. Learn more on the WIDA ACCESS in 2025-2026 page of the WIDA website.
Reading Assessment Changes
This will be the first year of a new Reading MCA-IV series of assessments aligned to revised academic standards, as well as the new Reading Alternate MCA (Alt MCA) that is replacing the MTAS. The new assessments will be aligned to the Reading strand of the 2020 Minnesota Academic Standards in English Language Arts. This transition to new assessments began with science, and many of the same assessment administration changes will continue with reading.
Due to 2025-26 being the first operational administration of the Reading MCA-IV and the Reading Alt MCA, final reporting will be delayed, and On-Demand Reports will not be available for these assessments this year. In addition, because these will be new assessments measuring different standards, results cannot be compared to previous years.
Reading Alt MCA
The new Reading Alt MCA will replace the Reading MTAS this year. This is a newly designed alternate assessment that provides additional administration options. It can be administered in online, paper, or hybrid (any combination of online and paper) modes to meet student needs. There will also be new test materials available to support Reading Alt MCA administrations and changes in administration policies consistent with science, including an early stopping rule.
Reading MCA-IV Accommodations and Supports (Repeat)
There are several changes to the accommodations and supports available on the Reading MCA to align with the changes available in universal supports and accommodations in the new MCA-IV series of assessments. Below is a high-level overview of some of the changes on the Reading MCA.
Similar to the Science MCA-IV, translated and glossed word lists will be available to all students for Reading MCA later this fall. In addition, the English glossary support will be available in the online Reading MCA (items only).
Accommodations available to students with an IEP or 504 plan:
- Similar to Science MCA materials, for the Reading MCA:
- A 24-pt large print test book will no longer be available. Instead, the 18-pt large print test book format is improved to make the materials more manageable for students.
- A separate passages book will be provided with the paper test books (12-pt, 18-pt, or braille) to make it easier for students to access passages information alongside the items included in the test book.
- Assistive technology online test forms are available that allow assistive technology devices to interact directly with the test; this includes screen readers and non-screen reader devices.
- Read-aloud accommodations (script/human reader, text-to-speech, or assistive technology online form for screen readers) are now available for eligible students. MDE must approve their use for each student. With these accommodations, the reading passages and test items are read to the student. This will be an approved accommodation for a small number of students who meet one of these criteria:
- Students with documented blindness or low vision that severely limits or prevents them from accessing printed text and have not yet learned braille.
- Students with deafness or who are hard of hearing and whose print disability severely limits their ability to decode text.
- Students with documented blindness or low vision who use a screen reader in their daily instruction.
More detail about these supports and accommodations are available in both the Procedures Manual for Minnesota Statewide Assessments 2025-26 and a guidance document intended to be used by district and school staff who have a role in decision-making and/or test administration with universal supports and accommodations for statewide assessments. This document, the Guidance for Universal Supports and Accommodations for Minnesota Statewide Assessments 2025-26, will be available soon on the District Resources page.
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The Division of Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment at MDE strives to support educational equity by providing tools and resources for a well-rounded education. A key part of this work is keeping educators informed through newsletters. Please share these newsletters with your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe.
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Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment Newsletter: This is a semi-annual newsletter, sent to all Curriculum Directors and District Assessment Coordinators listed in MDE-ORG. This newsletter highlights details and important information to support schools and districts in their implementation of the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards and the WIDA English Language Development Standards. It covers all content areas and aims to support balanced assessment systems. Subscribe to the Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment Newsletter.
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Educator Edition: This is a monthly newsletter sent to all Curriculum Directors in MDE-ORG and is available to all educators. It provides resources for standards-based instruction and professional development opportunities. Subscribe to the Educator Edition newsletter.
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Assessment Update: This is a weekly newsletter sent every Wednesday afternoon to all District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) and District Technology Coordinators (DTCs) in MDE-ORG. It includes reminders and updates about statewide assessments, from administration through reporting. Subscribe to the Assessment Update newsletter.
Previous versions of all three newsletters are available on the Minnesota Assessment Hub under the MDE Updates dropdown menu in the top right of the navigation bar.
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WIDA has added more Listening and Reading sample items for WIDA ACCESS Online and WIDA ACCESS Paper. These additions provide a better representation of test items across grade level clusters, domains, and standards. Find sample items and other resources to prepare students on the WIDA ACCESS Test Practice and Sample Items page of the WIDA website.
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Register for New DAC Orientation (Repeat)
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
Reading Alternate MCA Kickoff Meetings (Repeat)
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
Alternate Assessment Chat and Connect Series (Repeat)
The Academic Standards, Instruction, and Assessment Division will host a series of virtual Chat and Connect sessions for MTAS/Alt MCA test administrators and special education staff. This will be an informal time for you to ask any questions around alternate assessment, share your feedback, and connect with other special education staff from across the state.
Join us via Zoom for the first session of the year on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 4-5 p.m. Please register for the Alt Assessment Chat and Connect. In October, participants will review an example of the new Science Alt MCA Individual Student Reports (ISRs), learn about the information included on the report, and discuss Science Alt MCA 2025 administration feedback.
We will be meeting the second Wednesday of each month during the school year. You only need to register once to join any of the monthly Chat and Connects that work for you. The Alternate Assessment Chat and Connect dates for this year are Oct. 8, Nov. 12, Dec. 10, Jan. 14, Feb. 11, March 11, April 8, and May 13 at 4 p.m. For more information, contact ALT.Assessment.MDE@state.mn.us.
October WIDA Assessment Webinars
WIDA and DRC will be hosting the following webinars in October:
- WIDA ACCESS Technology Installations: Part 1, Oct. 7, 1-2 p.m.
- WIDA ACCESS Technology Installations: Part 2, Oct. 9, 1-2 p.m.
More information, including the webinar links, can be found in the WIDA Secure Portal on the Webinars page. The recordings for WIDA Assessment Webinars are posted on the Webinars page within a week of the presentation.
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