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An update from Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
May 6, 2026
Important Dates
May 7: Deadline to indicate District Confirmations and District Options in Test WES
May 8: Science MCA testing window closes
May 11: Deadline to return secure test materials to Pearson
May 18-June 5: Posttest Editing in Test WES
May 18: Begin retrieving early WIDA assessment results in Test WES
May 20 (noon): Deadline for Late Student Response Entry Requests
Quick Links
The Science MCA testing window closes this Friday, May 8. All online testing for Science MCA must be completed by 5 p.m. on May 8. All student responses in Science MCA paper or braille test books must be entered in TestNav by 7 p.m. on May 8.
Note: Test codes (such as student or parent/guardian refusals) for all MCA subjects can be indicated in PearsonAccess Next until 7 p.m. on May 8.
Manually Adding Students and Updating Information in Test WES for the Science MCA
Complete the following changes in Test WES by Thursday, May 7:
- Add students manually to precode file.
- Change the send indicator for High School Science MCA.
- Indicate universal supports and accommodations.
Note: Students who participated in the Science MCA using a paper test book with a script accommodation must have the HR code and the paper test book code (12, 18, BC, or BU) entered in Test WES in order to add the student to a Data Entry test session. When students only have HR indicated in Test WES, they are expected to participate in the online Science MCA with a script.
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If student responses in MCA paper test books or MTAS/Alt MCA score data were not entered during the testing window, districts can contact Pearson to arrange for a late student response entry. There is a $200 fee for late student response entry for up to 10 students after the close of the testing windows. Refer to Late Student Response Entry on page 276 of the Procedures Manual for instructions on returning late student response entry materials. The Request for Late Student Response Entry Form can be found on page 325 of the Procedures Manual.
To ensure late student response entry can be completed for Posttest Editing and reporting, Pearson must receive all Request for Late Student Response Entry Forms and related testing materials (such as MTAS/Alt MCA Data Collection Forms, paper test books with student responses) no later than noon on Wednesday, May 20.
Pearson will continue to accept and enter late student response entry requests until this fall. However, requests for a late student response entry made after May 20 will not be entered in time for districts to verify the records during Posttest Editing and be included in accountability calculations, and there will be no Individual Student Reports (ISRs) produced for these students.
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Secure test materials must be returned to Pearson via UPS after the tests are administered and student responses and MTAS/Alt MCA data are entered online. These secure test materials do not need to be held until the end of the testing window if testing and data entry is complete. Note that MTAS/Alt MCA Learner Characteristics Inventory (LCI) and Data Collection Forms must stay on file at the district for one year.
To ensure materials are received by the deadline, work with your schools to confirm that all materials are returned in a timely manner. Districts may choose to have each school return their own materials separately or they may have schools return their materials to the district to be shipped all together to Pearson. All materials must be shipped no later than Monday, May 11, and materials must be sent to the correct vendor (Pearson).
For more information, refer to the Returning Secure Test Materials document posted on the User Guides page of the Minnesota Assessment Hub. For questions, contact the Pearson help desk at 888-817-8659 or submit a Pearson help desk request online.
Note: Pearson does not score any paper test materials. Ensure all MTAS/Alt MCA data and student responses from paper MCA test books have been entered online before shipping back the materials. If MCA or MTAS/Alt MCA data were not entered by the end of the testing windows, refer to the Late Student Response Entries for MCA and MTAS/Alt MCA article above for more information.
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Posttest Editing in Test WES will be available May 18-June 5. Posttest Editing is an important window that gives districts the opportunity to update assessment records, correct demographic errors (wrong MARSS/SSID number or birth date, for example), and enter test codes as needed, with help from the MARSS Coordinator or other staff familiar with the students.
There are a few updates in Posttest Editing this year, including the updated test names for the new Reading MCA-IV, Reading Alternate MCA (Alt MCA), and for WIDA ACCESS. For more information, refer to the Test WES Posttest Editing User Guide, which is posted on the Test WES page of the MDE website, and the Posttest Editing Training, which will be posted in the DAC catalog in the Learning Management System (LMS) on May 8. When viewing the user guide electronically, search for “New for 2025-26” to find all updates.
Note: DACs who do not have the “District-User Read-Write” user role for Test WES must reach out to their EDIAM Identified Official with Authority (IOwA) to update their user role. Contact information for the IOwA in each district or charter is available on the Minnesota Department of Education-Organization Reference Glossary (MDE-ORG).
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On-Demand Reports provide student scores for Math MCA, Math MTAS, and Science Alt MCA within 60 minutes after testing or data entry is completed. Student scores for Science MCA are available within 72 hours after testing or data entry is completed due to additional time required to score constructed-response items. Refer to the On-Demand Reports and Export User Guide for more detailed information on accessing On-Demand Reports. Note: Due to 2025-26 being the first operational administration of the Reading MCA-IV and Reading Alt MCA, On-Demand Reports are not available for these assessments this year.
It is encouraged to use and share On-Demand Reports for instructional purposes, and districts determine how and if to share them. Keep in mind that while there are extremely rare circumstances when a student’s results in the On-Demand Report could change, providing the information from On-Demand Reports is encouraged to provide timely information to teachers, students, and/or families. However, they are not considered final for the following reasons:
- For MCA, periodic reviews of scoring and student responses are conducted as part of MDE’s robust scoring verification process.
- All items and test forms are reviewed multiple times before and during testing to ensure they are scored and functioning correctly.
- In a process called adjudication, student responses to technology-enhanced items are reviewed multiple times during and after testing so that any unanticipated responses are considered.
- However, achievement/performance level changes occurring as a result of these reviews are very rare. In cases where the achievement/performance level changes, communication is sent to the District Assessment Coordinator (DAC).
- Student results may change due to these verifications and new On-Demand Reports may be generated but no communication is sent if achievement/performance levels have not changed.
- Test administration situations (such as test invalidations or misadministrations) could lead to changes from these results due to test code changes.
- MCA and MTAS/Alt MCA assessment data go through Posttest Editing in Test WES before final reports are generated. Changes made during this process (for example, districts making changes to student information, or validations against student enrollment data to confirm special education designations) could lead to final results that differ from the original results provided in On-Demand Reports.
Note: Student assessment results are embargoed and should not be discussed in public forums (for example, on social media), reflected in public meeting minutes (for example, school board meetings), or shared with the general public or media until the final assessment results have been released publicly. This includes any summarized results determined by the district using On-Demand Reports. On-Demand Report results should not be retained as final records; Individual Student Reports (ISRs) and District and School Student Results (DSR and SSR) files are the official final data sources.
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The deadline for indicating district confirmations in Test WES is May 7. Use the District Confirmations page in Test WES to confirm the following statements:
- All staff involved with statewide testing have completed required trainings prior to test administration, including the District Assessment Coordinator (DAC).
- All students in the district indicated to take the MTAS/Alt MCA and/or WIDA Alternate ACCESS will meet all eligibility requirements at the time of testing.
- All policies and procedures were followed to ensure that students receive the supports and/or accommodations they require.
Also, by May 7, use the District Options page in Test WES to indicate the following options for the final reports shipment for MCA and MTAS/Alt MCA:
- Whether your district wants to receive student results labels with the final Individual Student Reports (ISR) shipment. If selected, student results labels for every student tested are shipped to the district with final reports. These labels can be used on student permanent hard-copy files. The default option is set to not send results labels; districts must change the selection to receive the labels.
- Districts must also indicate whether they would like to receive paper copies of ISRs to distribute to families in the fall or if districts will provide families with electronic copies of ISRs from PearsonAccess Next. The default option is to receive paper copies of ISRs.
Note: It is not possible to order MCA/MTAS/Alt MCA adhesive student results labels or paper copies of ISRs after May 7; however, they will be available for districts to print in Published Reports in PearsonAccess Next.
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MDE’s Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment Division is hiring two positions on the Test Development team, a Science Assessment Specialist and a Reading Assessment Specialist. These positions serve as the state experts and primary resources for the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) in science or reading respectively. These positions provide direction, leadership, coordination, consultation, and professional development to school districts and to the division to facilitate the development of the statewide assessments and implementation of state academic standards.
The application period for both assessment positions is May 1-15.
- Science Assessment Specialist: View this posting and apply at the Minnesota Careers website. Go to External Applicant Portal and search for Job ID 93245.
- Reading Assessment Specialist: View this posting and apply at the Minnesota Careers website. Go to External Applicant Portal and search for Job ID 93268.
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May WIDA Assessment Webinar
WIDA and DRC will host the WIDA AMS and DRC Technical Enhancements for 2026-27 webinar on May 19, 1-2 p.m.
More information, including the webinar link, is available on the Webinars page in the WIDA Secure Portal. Recordings of WIDA assessment webinars are typically posted in the Secure Portal within a week of the presentation.
Student Privacy Webinars
In May, the U.S. Department of Education Student Privacy Policy Office, through its Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), will present a series of webinars:
- May 13, 1-3 p.m.: FERPA 101 and Data Security Best Practices covers the basics of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and provides training on current data security best practices for education data systems.
- May 20, 1-3 p.m.: FERPA 201 and Transparency dives into scenarios that schools and districts face and highlights PTAC’s research on transparency.
- May 27, 1-3 p.m.: Incident Response and Vetting Educational Technology leads participants through a simulated data breach and explores how to assess online educational technology for privacy protections and general FERPA compliance.
Meaningful Access to Standards: Local Exemplars and the Extended Benchmark Process
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is continuing a webinar series to help support educators in the implementation of proactive and positive evidence-based strategies and resources. This series highlights local examples of work being done to align systems of support across the needs of diverse learners and to provide information on specific disabilities that include voices of individuals and families within the community alongside educators and community organizations.
The next webinar in the series, Meaningful Access to Standards: Local Exemplars and the Extended Benchmark Process, (with presenters Lauren Walker and Stacie Stensrud, MDE Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment Division; Kelsey Black, MDE Special Education Division; and Nichole Voigt, River Bend Education District) will focus on the legal foundations for access to the standards for all learners and on the process of utilizing the extended benchmark process for curriculum and instructional planning. Additionally, exemplar schools will share how they meet student needs in the field and use instructional scaffolds, providing attendees real-world examples.
- May 14, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Register on Zoom. Please note that registration will close 24 hours in advance of the webinar. Details for joining will be provided once registrations are approved.
Recordings of previous webinars are posted on the Special Education Training webpage.
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