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An update from the Division of Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Vol. 5, No. 1: Sept. 8, 2026
Opportunities for Participation in Statewide Assessment Advisory Groups
The Minnesota statewide assessment program relies on input from a range of advisory groups to ensure its continued success and relevance. Each group plays a distinct role in shaping policies, improving practices, and supporting the implementation of high-quality statewide assessments.
The following advisory groups are open to educational professionals across Minnesota who are involved with or support statewide assessments:
- Assessment Accommodations Review Panel (AARP)
- District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) Input Group (DIG)
- Local Assessment Advisory Committee (LAAC)
For more details about each group, refer to the Statewide Assessment Advisory Groups Overview document posted on the Statewide Testing page of the MDE website, under the “Opportunities for Participation” expandable header. If you are interested in participating in an advisory group, we encourage you to complete the Statewide Assessment Advisory Group Application, posted on the same page. Please submit your application by Friday, Sept. 18 to participate in the 2026-27 school year. Membership for these groups is reviewed annually. Note: The State Assessment Technology Work Group (SATWG) is not currently accepting applications.
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Understanding Assessment Literacy
In upcoming editions of the Educator Edition, we will explore topics that strengthen assessment literacy in the classroom, including understanding the role of different assessments within a system of assessments, interpreting results appropriately, and using assessment information to support instruction and clear communication about student learning.
The word “literacy” usually brings reading and writing to mind, but assessment literacy points to something different: being literate in assessment itself. In practice, that means knowing what an assessment is designed to measure, how to interpret its results, and how to use that information in meaningful ways. This includes understanding the purpose of different assessments, how well they align with grade-level standards or skills they are meant to measure, and what their results can and cannot tell us. It also involves understanding the characteristics of high-quality assessments, such as validity, reliability, and fairness. A shared understanding of assessment literacy helps educators make informed instructional decisions and communicate about student learning clearly and accurately.
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Making Sense of the First Reading MCA-IV and Alternate MCA Results
Student results from the first Reading MCA-IV and Alternate MCA (Alt MCA) will be released this fall, following this spring’s first administration of these new assessments. The Reading MCA-IV and Alt MCA are aligned to the Reading strand of the 2020 Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in English Language Arts (ELA), which districts and charter schools fully implemented in the 2025-26 school year. As you review results, keep in mind that each district’s plan for transitioning to the 2020 ELA standards may influence Reading MCA-IV and Alt MCA results during the first few administrations.
Because this is a new assessment, these results establish a new performance baseline, and they cannot be compared to results from the Reading MCA-III or the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS). The performance levels also changed to Beginning, Intermediate, Meets, and Advanced, which were set based on the recommendations of Minnesota educators. Fully implementing revised standards and assessments takes time, and it may be a few years before the benefits are seen as educators and students adjust to the shifts in curriculum and instruction.
A few points can help as educators make sense of what the results represent:
- The Reading MCA-IV measures comprehension and analysis skills in Reading standards 4-9 of the 2020 ELA standards. It does not measure foundational literacy skills such as decoding or phonics, which are monitored through other tools such as literacy screeners.
- The Reading MCA-IV is one source of evidence within a system of assessments. It offers a statewide picture of learning relative to grade-level standards, while classroom and local assessments answer the day-to-day questions about how students are progressing. No single assessment tells the whole story.
- The performance level descriptors (PLDs) resources describe what students at each performance level typically know and can do relative to grade-level standards. They can support understanding of what the results mean and inform conversations about curriculum and instruction.
Districts and charters have access to results through secure reports provided by MDE, beginning with student-level data on Aug. 18 and summary-level data on Sept. 18. These results are embargoed until the public release on Sept. 30, meaning districts and schools can use the results for planning but cannot share or discuss them publicly.
For more information, including guidance for communications, refer to the Guidance for Reading MCA-IV and Alternate MCA Results Release resource, available on the District Resources page of the MDE website, under Test Score Interpretation Resources.
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STEAM Guidance Toolkit
The STEAM Guidance Toolkit is a new resource to help Minnesota educators implement high-quality, integrated K-5 STEAM instruction. It offers practical guidance, discipline-specific practice supports, and tools for designing culturally responsive, standards-aligned learning experiences that foster creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Educators can access the full toolkit on the STEM page of the MDE website, under the Projects, Initiatives and Grant Information expandable header.
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Curriculum Leaders Meetings 2026-27
What: MDE will host three virtual Curriculum Leaders Meetings in 2026-27. Each meeting will be offered twice: a morning session from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and an afternoon session from 4-5 p.m. In addition to the Curriculum Leaders meeting, representatives from the READ Act will host a half-hour session, immediately after the morning session ends, and 30 minutes before the afternoon session begins.
Curriculum Leaders Meetings are intended to provide Curriculum Directors and other curriculum leaders with resources and professional development updates, implementation guidance, information around educational trends or topics, technical assistance regarding feedback from survey responses, and an opportunity to learn about other MDE divisions and supports.
Who: New and experienced curriculum leaders are encouraged to attend either session. The virtual meetings are not recorded and CEUs will not be provided as these sessions are intended to be an additional support rather than training.
When: Use the links below to register for the virtual Curriculum Leaders Meetings. Note: Registration will close 24 hours in advance of the meeting. Details for joining will be provided when registrations are approved.
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Arts Standards and Requirements Introduction
What: This Zoom session will provide an overview of arts education requirements in Minnesota as well as an introduction to the required Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in the Arts. All are welcome, and this session is especially recommended for anyone new to the role of supporting arts curriculum and instruction.
Who: District-level curriculum and instructional leaders in the arts. This can include teachers in some cases when they are in leadership roles supporting the arts for the district or school.
When: Sept. 23, 9-10 a.m.
How: Registration is required 24 hours in advance. Failure to do so may result in not being admitted to the session. To be added to the contact list for Arts Curriculum Leaders to receive future information and meeting invites, contact Arts Specialist, Alina Campana, alina.campana@state.mn.us.
Register for the session.
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MTAS/Alt MCA Fall Meetings
What: This fall, MDE will host online Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS)/Alternate Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (Alt MCA) Fall Meetings. Educators will be given continuing education units. Zoom recordings will be available at a later date.
Who: 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.
How: Registration is required at least 24 hours in advance.
When: Sessions will be held on Oct. 21, 10 a.m.-noon and Nov. 4, 3-5:30 p.m.
Register for the Oct. 21 session.
Register for the Nov. 4 session.
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September ELA Leaders Network Meeting
What: ELA leaders are invited to the first virtual Minnesota ELA Leaders Network meeting of the year, focused on continuous improvement of standards implementation with a spotlight on a new resource, the Classroom Walkthrough Tool for Minnesota ELA Programs.
Who: Anyone with a leadership role connected to K-12 ELA is welcome to attend, including district leaders, school leaders, and educator leaders.
How: Registration required at least 24 hours in advance. Contact MDE ELA Specialist Kristin Bauck at kristin.bauck@state.mn.us with questions. See future meeting information in the 2026-27 ELA Leaders Network flyer.
When: Sept. 10, 8-9:30 a.m.
Register for Sept. 10 virtual network meeting.
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Supporting Every Child: Universal Supports and Accommodations Webinar
What: Participants will learn about the ways the MCA and Alt MCA universal supports and accommodations can be used to support all students. During the webinar we will share information about the Student Readiness Tools where participants can explore supports built into the online assessment platform. There will also be time to ask questions, give input on the supports and accommodations students are using, and share additional ideas on how students could be supported on statewide assessments.
Who: Special Education staff and district staff involved in decision-making for student supports and accommodations for the MCA and Alt MCA.
How: Registration required at least 24 hours in advance. Contact MDE Alternate Assessment Specialists at alt.assessment.mde@state.mn.us with questions.
When: Oct. 8, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Register for the webinar.
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2026-27 Alternate Assessment Chat and Connect Series
What: MTAS/Alternate MCA Test Administrators and special education staff are invited to meet with MDE Alternate Assessment Specialists to give feedback, ask questions, and connect with other special education staff from across the state.
Why: In October, learn about the Reading and Science Alt MCA Student Readiness Tools, hear feedback Test Administrators gave on the 2026 Alt MCA, and see examples of the Reading and Science Individual Student Reports to be released this fall.
When: Oct. 14, 4-5 p.m. Series will continue monthly, meeting on the second Wednesday of each month (except November). The 2026-27 dates are Oct. 14, Nov. 12, Dec. 9, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 10, April 14, and May 12. 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.
Register for the series.
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Emerging Leaders in Gifted Education
What: MDE, in partnership with the Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented and the Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented, will offer Emerging Leaders in Gifted Education (formerly GT Boot Camp), a virtual training series for coordinators and specialists in their first three years of service. Each session provides practical tools and support for serving advanced learners.
How: Register for the Zoom sessions at any time. If you need assistance, please contact Gifted Education Specialist Wendy Behrens at wendy.behrens@state.mn.us.
When: Series dates and Zoom links are as follows; all meetings require registration a minimum of 24 hours in advance:
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Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted and Talented Learners
What: This four‑part professional learning series, sponsored by MDE and the Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented, offers educators, school leaders, psychologists, and counselors practical strategies and research-based insights on key topics affecting gifted students today: anxiety, productive struggle, co‑regulation, and the intersectional identities of twice‑exceptional learners.
How: The fee for the series is $100. All sessions will be recorded and available following the presentation. CEUs will be provided.
When: Sessions will be held from noon-2 p.m. on Oct. 21, Dec. 16, Feb. 17, and April 21. All meetings require registration a minimum of 24 hours in advance.
Register for the series.
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Arts Leaders Meetings
What: MDE hosts several Zoom meetings for curriculum leaders focused on implementing the arts standards-aligned curriculum and instruction each school year.
Who: Anyone with a leadership role connected to K-12 Visual and Performing Arts curriculum and instruction is welcome to attend, including district leaders, school leaders, and teacher leaders.
When: See dates and topics below. All meetings require registration a minimum of 24 hours in advance.
How: Register for meetings via the links below. Check the MDE Arts webpage for updates and announcements. Contact MDE Arts Specialist Alina Campana at alina.campana@state.mn.us with questions and to be added to the Arts Leaders contact list.
Register for "Introduction to Arts Standards and Requirements," Sept. 23, 9-10 a.m.
Register for "Introduction to Essential Understandings About Native Arts in Minnesota," Oct. 7, 9-10:30 a.m.
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Arts Monthly Office Hours
What: Arts Education Office Hours are an informal opportunity to drop in via Zoom and ask any question related to state arts standards and arts education requirements.
Who: Leaders and educators.
When: Third Tuesday of each month, 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the 2026-27 school year. Find specific dates and Zoom registration on the MDE Arts webpage. All meetings require registration a minimum of 24 hours in advance.
Register for the Sept. 15 Arts Office Hours.
Register for the Oct. 20 Arts Office Hours.
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Division of Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Minnesota Department of Education
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