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An update from Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Aug. 26, 2026
Important Dates
Sept. 4: Deadline to submit reimbursement requests in GRR
Sept. 18: Embargoed final Reading MCA-IV/Alt MCA school, district, and state summary results available in Test Results Summary in Secure Reports
Sept. 18: Preliminary embargoed school and district accountability results (Academic Roster and North Star Report) available in Secure Reports
Sept. 24: Deadline for accountability report appeals
Quick Links
MDE has resolved the 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 now populating correctly in the report.
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Pearson is transitioning from PearsonAccess Next to the LaunchPad and ADAM platforms for the spring 2027 test administrations. LaunchPad provides single sign-on with centralized access to the Learning Management System (LMS) and ADAM (Assessment Delivery and Management). ADAM will serve as the primary platform for test administration and reporting. Note: TestNav will continue to be used for online testing.
Pearson will host live virtual trainings and post pre-recorded trainings for the LaunchPad and ADAM platforms in the LMS starting in October and throughout the year. Information on this transition and available trainings will be included in future editions of the Assessment Update newsletter. Previous updates are available for review on the Transition Updates page of the Minnesota Assessment Hub.
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The secure rosters for Consistent Attendance data for 2024-25 and Progress Toward English Proficiency data for 2025-26 are available in Secure Reports. The secure release of the remaining accountability indicators is Friday, Sept. 18. Appeals for that data will run through Thursday, Sept. 24.
Information sessions to review accountability indicators and remaining release logistics will be held on:
These dates and times will be shared again in future Assessment Updates. Click the link for the session to join at the indicated date and time.
Please send any questions about the currently available indicators or the upcoming release of accountability data to mde.essa@state.mn.us.
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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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As we transition to a new academic year, please ensure that District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) contact information is current in the Minnesota Department of Education-Organization Reference Glossary (MDE-ORG). All contact information in MDE-ORG is updated and maintained by the district’s Site Verification Coordinator (SVC). You can look up the SVC for your district in MDE-ORG. If the SVC has any questions about the process, they can contact mde.school-verify@state.mn.us.
Newly appointed DACs should review the New District Assessment Coordinators: Getting Access document under the District Assessment Coordinator Resources expandable header on the District Resources page of the MDE website to ensure they are designated as the DAC and are granted access to MDE and service provider systems. MDE will post additional resources and offer trainings to support new DACs this fall. More information will be provided in a future Assessment Update.
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As communicated in the May 13 Assessment Update, MDE provides alternate composite calculations for English learners (ELs) with an IEP or 504 plan who are unable to participate in one or more domains of a WIDA assessment because of a disability and who meet all of the following criteria:
- The student receives a valid score (VS) for at least two domains.
- Any domains without a valid score have a test code of Special Education Deferred (SPD).
MDE has posted a file in Test WES for each district with one or more students identified with SPD codes. MDE has also directly notified the District Assessment Coordinator (DAC) in each of these districts.
If a DAC did not receive a notification, the district had no students who met these criteria.
DACs should share results with appropriate staff to support EL reclassification and exit decisions. Questions about exit pathways may be directed to mde.el@state.mn.us.
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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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Districts that received assessment results for the college entrance exam they administered (ACT or SAT) before July 1 should submit reimbursement requests in the Graduation Requirements Records (GRR) system for eligible students no later than Sept. 4.
If a district has not previously received reimbursement for a grade 11 or 12 student, districts will be reimbursed for students eligible for free/reduced-price meals who are entered into GRR. If funding allows, districts may also receive full or prorated reimbursement for students who are unable to pay for the exam. Districts must determine the criteria for “unable to pay” and enter those requests in GRR.
More information is in the Graduation Requirements Records (GRR) User Guide and in the recorded GRR training posted to the Learning Management System (LMS).
Common Issues
If uploading a file, verify that all information is entered exactly as specified in the File Format section of the GRR User Guide and that the format of the data entered matches the required format for the cell (matching the row of sample data). Before uploading, delete the row of sample data but do not remove any columns from the file. If copying and pasting text from another document, use “Values” as the paste format to maintain formatting of the file format template.
In addition, any student identity error must first be resolved in MARSS and/or the Student ID Validation system before the record can be added into GRR. Student data entered in GRR must match MARSS data. If you receive the “Student match based on matching rules, but ID is different” message, check the following:
- A nickname has been entered instead of the full name (for example, “Ben” instead of “Benjamin”).
- The student’s last name is incomplete or not entered correctly (for example, “Carlson” or “Carlson-Hernandez” instead of “Carlson Hernandez”).
Reimbursement Reports
After districts enter reimbursement requests in GRR, they must confirm that the students for whom they expect reimbursement are included in the reimbursement reports; these reports are refreshed each morning. It is important to confirm student information is entered correctly to avoid incorrect reimbursements to the district. Two reports are available:
- The Claimed Student Detail Report details which records will be reimbursed (or the reason records will not be reimbursed).
- The Estimated Student Amount Report gives an estimate of the amount to be received.
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Academic Standards, Instruction and Assessment
Minnesota Department of Education
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