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An update from Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
April 8, 2026
Important Dates
March 2-May 1 (May 8 Science MCA only): MCA and MTAS/Alt MCA testing window
April 28 (noon): Deadline to order additional MTAS/Alt MCA (all subjects) and Reading and Math MCA paper test materials in PearsonAccess Next
May 5 (noon): Deadline to order additional Science MCA paper test materials in PearsonAccess Next
Quick Links
As communicated in last week’s Assessment Update, in order to receive a valid score for the Alt MCA all questions need a response indicated. Responses for an online administration are entered directly into TestNav while the student is testing and are not captured on a Data Collection Form. If the Test Administrator or student inadvertently skips a question during an online administration and submits the test, the student will receive a Not Complete (NC) test code. Last week’s article (Alt MCA Administration Reminders) stated that districts cannot unsubmit the test to add a response to the skipped question. However, Pearson is able to unsubmit the test and indicate NR (No Response) to the skipped question on behalf of the district. If a district notices an NC in the student’s On-Demand Report for the Science Alt MCA and believes that this is due to inadvertently skipping a question, contact the Pearson help desk at 888-817-8659 or submit a Pearson help desk request online.
It is strongly recommended to use the Progress Bar in the Test Panel as a quick way for the Test Administrator and student to review responses and ensure a response has been entered for each question before the test is submitted. If a student did not answer a question, the Test Administrator should enter NR.
Note: If a student is administered an assessment in a paper or hybrid mode with responses indicated on the Data Collection Form and the Test Administrator inadvertently skips an answer during data entry, the test can be unsubmitted by Pearson, and the student’s responses can be reentered by the district.
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April Q&A Session: Graduation Requirement Records
MDE will host a virtual Q&A session for District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, that will focus on the Graduation Requirement Records (GRR) system and submission process. Register for the April Q&A Session. Please note that registration will close 24 hours in advance of the Q&A session. Details for joining will be provided when registrations are approved.
The prerequisite for the April Q&A session is to complete the GRR Training which will be posted in the Learning Management System (LMS) (DAC catalog > MDE DAC Trainings tag) on April 15. An updated GRR User Guide and detailed information on the next GRR submission will be shared in a future edition of the Assessment Update.
MDE collects questions from DACs prior to the event to help prepare and find relevant resources to share. After reviewing the prerequisites, submit questions for the April DAC Q&A Session. Q&A sessions will not be recorded nor will CEUs be provided as these are considered additional supports rather than training events.
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MDE Websites Unavailable the Morning of April 9 (repeat)
Multiple MDE websites, including Minnesota Department of Education and Testing 1, 2, 3, will be down for maintenance the morning of April 9. MDE systems like Test WES will still be available; however, you will not be able to navigate to these systems through the MDE website. Please bookmark this link so that you’re still able to access Test WES, and bookmark links to other MDE systems as needed.
Learning Management System Unavailable April 11-12
The Learning Management System (LMS) will undergo updates and be unavailable from Saturday, April 11 at 9:30 p.m. until Sunday, April 12 at 5:30 a.m. Any updates to the LMS will be announced in a future Assessment Update.
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Technical Bulletin: Chromebook Quick Reset TestNav Error
Pearson Support has received reports that using the ChromeOS “Hard Reboot/Quick Reset/Quick Restart” action to exit TestNav in kiosk mode can cause some Chromebooks to later launch TestNav incorrectly. Instead of opening in the secure kiosk app environment, TestNav may start in a regular browser session. When this happens, you will usually see Error 3104 (“Please use the TestNav app…”)—even if the app worked properly before.
Google has acknowledged this behavior as a ChromeOS defect affecting kiosk application stability (not a TestNav-specific issue), and the fix is expected to be in ChromeOS version 146.
On affected devices, the TestNav sign-in page shows “Browser Check” instead of “App Check” in the user dropdown menu, indicating that TestNav is no longer running in the kiosk app environment.
Note: Hard Reboot shortcut = Hold Refresh (⟳) + tap Power.
Devices in this state cannot be used for secure testing, because TestNav must run in kiosk mode.
- The issue may affect only some Chromebooks, even when Google Admin Console settings appear correct.
- You can identify impacted devices by checking the user dropdown menu on the TestNav sign-in page:
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App Check = device is functioning correctly
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Browser Check = device is impacted and requires remediation
- The fastest and most reliable way to fix this is to perform a Powerwash (factory reset) and re-enroll the impacted Chromebook into your management console (see below for further information).
If you are experiencing this issue, refer to the following Technical Bulletin for more information on identifying impacted devices, remediating impacted devices, and preventing recurrence during testing. You can also contact Pearson support at 1-888-817-8659 or submit a help desk request online.
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Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Minnesota Department of Education
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