An update from Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment

Aug. 19, 2026

Important Dates

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• Student Assessment History Report Update
• Fall Reminder: Using 2026 WIDA ACCESS Results During the Transition Year
• Assessment Literacy: Preparing for MCA-IV and Alt MCA Results Release
• Subscore Report: Planned Unavailability
• Upcoming Opportunities

Student Assessment History Report Update

MDE has identified an issue with the Student Assessment History Report accessed through Assessment Secure Reports. Newly-enrolled students submitted through MARSS A/B files and Ed-Fi syncs are not populating correctly in the report. MDE is working to correct the issue. An update will be provided through a future Assessment Update and/or a direct Assessment Alert email when the issue is resolved.

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Fall Reminder: Using 2026 WIDA ACCESS Results During the Transition Year

This is a reminder for districts on how to use 2026 WIDA ACCESS and WIDA ACCESS for Kindergarten results during this transition year. Because these revised assessments were administered for the first time in spring 2026, proficiency level cut scores will not be finalized until later this fall. As a result, districts will receive two sets of proficiency level results.

Initial proficiency level results were shared in the early student-level results files in Test WES and in alternate columns of the District and School Student Results (DSR/SSR) files. These proficiency levels will also appear in the Individual Student Reports (ISRs) as well as the Student Assessment History Report (SAHR). The DSR/SSR files and SAHR are accessed through Assessment Secure Reports. Initial proficiency level results are psychometrically aligned to pre-2026 proficiency levels and must be used for all English learner (EL) reclassification and exit decisions for 2026-27.

Updated proficiency level results will be released later in fall. These results will reflect new cut scores and will appear in the standard columns of updated DSR/SSR files. Updated results may be used for instructional planning and future cross-year comparisons beginning in 2027, but they must not be used to revise EL reclassification and exit decisions made using initial results.

Because of the updated English Language Development (ELD) standards, revised assessments, and new scoring, 2026 results cannot be compared to prior years. Districts should plan for careful local communication and ensure educators understand where each set of results appears and how each should be used. Local data systems may also require updates to correctly recognize the revised data elements in 2026 files. More information is available in Using WIDA Assessment Results During the 2026 Transition to New Proficiency Levels, posted on the WIDA Minnesota webpage.

Note: MDE will begin a process to review and update the statewide definition of proficiency and exit criteria during the 2026-27 school year. Any updates will apply beginning in 2027

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Assessment Literacy: Preparing for MCA-IV and Alt MCA Results Release

Please share this information with district and school staff.

Minnesota’s standards-based accountability assessments measure student learning of the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards. As academic standards are reviewed and revised, a new series of assessments is developed to align with the updated standards. These new assessments are the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment-IV (MCA-IV) and the Alternate MCA (Alt MCA).

The new Reading MCA-IV and Alt MCA were administered in spring 2026, and results will be released this fall. Districts and educators should keep the following in mind while they prepare for the results release:

• MCA-IV and Alt MCA results are communicated through performance levels: Beginning, Intermediate, Meets, and Advanced.
• A new performance baseline is established with a new assessment; therefore, results from new assessments cannot be compared to previous years’ results.
• The Reading MCA-IV measures Reading standards 4 through 9, a specific part of the Reading strand of the 2020 English Language Arts (ELA) standards. It does not measure foundational literacy skills, which are monitored through other tools, such as literacy screeners. 
• Statewide assessment results are one source of evidence within a district’s system of assessments. No single assessment tells the whole story of what students know and can do. 

More information about the results release is included in the Guidance for Reading MCA-IV and Alternate MCA Results Release document, which is posted on the District Resources page of the MDE website under the Test Score Interpretation Resources expandable heading. This guidance provides the results release timeline, key messages for school boards, staff, and families, and communication planning support for district and school leaders. It also includes a customizable letter template that districts can prepare in advance and share with families when Individual Student Reports (ISRs) are distributed.

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Subscore Report: Planned Unavailability

In preparation for loading the 2026 MCA reporting data, the Subscore Report located on the Minnesota Assessment Hub will be unavailable starting Friday, Aug. 28. The Subscore Report will be available with 2026 MCA data on Monday, Oct. 12.

Note: Summarized math and science subscore data is included in the Test Results Summary, available in Secure Reports. 2026 MCA-IV/Alt MCA reading data will be available in Test Results Summary on Sept. 18.

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Upcoming Opportunities

Upcoming WIDA Assessment Webinars

WIDA and DRC will host the following assessment webinars in September:

• Welcome Back: What’s New in 2026-2027, Sept. 1, 1-2 p.m.
• WIDA ACCESS for New Test Administrators, Sept. 8, 1-2 p.m.
• WIDA ACCESS for New District Test Coordinators, Sept. 10, 1-2 p.m.
• Ordering WIDA ACCESS Materials in WIDA AMS, Sept. 22, 1-2 p.m.
• WIDA ACCESS Software Updates and Tech Readiness Checklist, Sept. 29, 1-2 p.m.

More information, including webinar links, is available on the Webinars page in the WIDA Secure Portal. Recordings of WIDA assessment webinars are typically posted in the Secure Portal within one week of the live session.

WIDA Core Learning Collection Launches Sept. 1

WIDA is introducing the new Core Learning Collection on Sept. 1. The collection includes self-paced workshops, new on-demand videos, and practical resources designed to help educators turn learning into classroom action. Read the What to Know: WIDA Core Learning Collection article to learn what is available in this new offering from WIDA Professional Learning.

Important: Any Self-Paced Workshops currently in progress must be completed, including the survey and certificate download, by Aug. 31.

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Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Minnesota Department of Education
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