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An update from Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
March 25, 2026
Important Dates
March 2-May 1 (May 8 Science MCA only): MCA and MTAS/Alt MCA testing window
March 27: Deadline to ship paper WIDA assessment test materials to DRC
Quick Links
Thank you for your work supporting a successful administration of the WIDA assessments. The deadline to ship all secure test materials to DRC is this Friday, March 27. Please refer to last week’s Assessment Update for a complete summary of how to return secure test materials.
If your district does not have a regular UPS pickup, contact UPS at 866-857-1501 at least one day in advance to schedule a pickup. Same-day pickup requests may result in additional charges billed to the school or district.
For more instructions, refer to the District and School Test Coordinator Manual, available under Resources in the WIDA Secure Portal.
Risks of Returning Materials Late
Any materials returned to DRC after March 27 will be processed as a late return. Late-returned materials will not be scored before test results are provided to MDE, and the following will be unavailable or incomplete for any domain administered in a scorable test booklet:
- Early student-level results used by English Learner (EL) staff to inform exit and reclassification decisions
- Assessment records for Posttest Editing in Test WES
- Embargoed and final release of data
- Accountability calculations
- Score appeals, transcription requests, or test booklet searches
- Printed Individual Student Reports (ISRs) will not be provided; digital ISRs will be delayed until the straggler file is processed in late fall
Need Help?
For help with returning test materials, contact the DRC help desk at WIDA@datarecognitioncorp.com or 855-787-9615.
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In general, students should be added to Test WES for testing through student enrollment data submissions, rather than manually adding them in Precode Student Eligibility. When a student record is manually added or changed in Test WES, that student information is used in Test WES instead of the information submitted to MDE. Any additional updates in enrollment information, like a change in grade or school, are no longer automatically sent to PearsonAccess Next in precode for that student.
However, there may be cases where a record needs to be manually added or changed (for example, when student enrollment data will not be submitted before testing, a student needs to test the next day, or a home-schooled student has requested to test with the district). Ensure any student information manually added or changed matches student enrollment data submitted to MDE. Manual changes should be considered as a workaround for adding students for testing and not a routine practice. Detailed instructions on how to add a student manually to precode records are available in the Test WES Precode User Guide, posted on the Test WES page of the MDE website, starting on page 14.
Any records you manually add or change in Test WES affect only how a student is sent in precode to PearsonAccess Next for testing. It does not edit or change district student enrollment data.
In order for students to be loaded in PearsonAccess Next for online testing or data entry, any student enrollment updates must be submitted at least two business days in advance. Once data is submitted to MDE, it is gathered overnight and is available the next business day in Test WES for districts to make edits in Precode Student Eligibility (such as, changing schools) or Pretest Editing (such as, changing test assignments or universal supports/accommodations) before it is sent to Pearson.
Many districts use a student information system to view and manage student data. Keep in mind that this data in the district’s systems is not necessarily the same information that has been submitted to MDE through MARSS A/B files. If there are discrepancies, use available comparison reports to compare the data submitted through MARSS A/B files and synced with Ed-Fi, as Ed-Fi data is synced directly from the district student information system. Additional information is available on the Ed-Fi page of the MDE website.
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Mathematics MTAS Administration Reminder
When administering the Mathematics MTAS, if a student does not answer or answers incorrectly during the first presentation of the task, follow this procedure:
Present the task for 3 points, reading the bold text in the MTAS/Alt MCA Task Administration Manual (on the Test Administration Resources page of the Minnesota Assessment Hub) and following the instructions to present the Presentation Pages and Response Option Cards to the student. Repetition and refocusing are allowed prior to a student response. If the student answers correctly, indicate a score of 3 and move on to the next task.
If the student does not answer or answers incorrectly, present the task a second time, providing additional support as scripted in the Task Administration Manual and presenting the Presentation Pages and Response Option Cards. Once the additional support has been provided, the highest score the student can receive for a correct response on the task is 2.
- If the student answers correctly, indicate a score of 2 and move on to the next task.
- If the student provides an incorrect answer related to the task, indicate a score of 1 and move on to the next task. To receive a score of 1, the student response must be clearly connected to the specific task.
- If the student still does not give a response related to the task, indicate a score of 0.
Reading and Science Alt MCA Reminder
When administering the Reading or Science Alt MCA, if a student answers incorrectly, record the student’s response (A, B, or C) and move to the next item in the task. Items are not presented again if an incorrect response is given.
If a student does not respond to an item or if the student's response is unclear or appears unintentional (for example, the student knocks the question to the floor) follow this procedure:
- Attempt to refocus the student’s attention.
- Re-present the item and/or passage or phenomenon.
- Give the student sufficient time to respond before recording NR (No Response). Time needed for each student to respond is individual and is best determined by the Test Administrator who knows the student’s typical response rate.
- Examples of unrelated or non-responses that would also be recorded this way include echolalia (for example, "ba-ba-ba-ba" or repeating the question back to the Test Administrator), random grabbing of an answer option, saying something that is unrelated to the task (for example, “I want juice.”), or a non-communicative gesture (for example, hand flapping).
- If the student still does not give a response related to an item, record the student’s response as No Response (NR).
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The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) awarded a contract to Teaching Strategies, LLC to support the design and implementation of the new Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment (MnKFA). In 2023, the Legislature directed MDE to administer a kindergarten assessment to provide policymakers with a statewide snapshot of what children know and can do at the start of kindergarten. The MnKFA is not an accountability measure or kindergarten readiness test, as kindergarten eligibility is based on age. MDE selected Teaching Strategies, LLC., based on priorities identified by Minnesota families, educators, early childhood experts, and kindergarteners. The MnKFA will encourage best practice around educating and assessing young learners. The MnKFA will use a 16-item subset from the Teaching Strategies GOLD® assessment to assess all kindergartners in fall 2027 (MDE will conduct a pilot in the fall 2026). Data collected from the assessment will support classroom instruction, inform local decision-making, and contribute to a broader statewide understanding of early learning, and the transition into kindergarten.
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April Alternate Assessment Chat and Connect
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 April session on Wednesday, April 8 from 4-5 p.m. Please register for the Alt Assessment Chat and Connect. In April we will learn about the Reading and Science Alt MCA Performance Level Descriptors and discuss 2026 MTAS/Alt MCA administration questions.
We will be meeting on 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. However, when registering for the first time, registration for each session closes 24 hours before the meeting time. The remaining Alternate Assessment Chat and Connect dates for this year are April 8 and May 13 at 4 p.m. For more information, contact ALT.Assessment.MDE@state.mn.us.
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Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Minnesota Department of Education
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