Student test scores drop

Slide shows students were struggling during pandemic, Marshall superintendent says

MARSHALL -- Fewer students at Marshall Public Schools are meeting grade level standards on state tests than they were two years ago, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Education. However, Marshall students aren't alone. Schools statewide have seen proficiency levels drop compared to 2019, MDE officials said.

"The statewide assessment results confirm what we already knew -- that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our students' learning and they need our help to recover," Education Commissioner Heather Mueller said last week.

Compared to 2019, the number of MPS students performing at or above grade level standards was down by about 14 percentage points in math; down by about 11 percentage points in reading; and down by about 19 percentage points in science, according to the MDE's Minnesota Report Card website. Data wasn't available for 2020 because last year state tests were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As expected, the data we have verifies that while some students were successful during hybrid and distance learning, others struggled," said MPS Superintendent Jeremy Williams. A return to a more normal school year this fall could help, he said. "Marshall Public Schools is looking forward to the 2021-2022 school year, where we are planning for full face-to-face instruction for all of our students."

Last week, the Minnesota Department of Education released data on 2021 test scores from statewide assessments like the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) and the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS).

"The MCA data released last week helps us identify where each student ended the year academically last year, and will be a piece of the data that we use to guide our instruction, intervention, and enrichment this year," Williams said.

Students take reading assessments in grades 3-8 and grade 10. At MPS, 48.3% of students who took state reading tests performed at or above grade level, compared to 59% in in 2019.

Students take math assessments in grades 3-8 and grade 11. At MPS, 45.6% of students tested performed at or above grade level in math, compared to 59.5% in 2019.

Students also take science assessments in grades 5 and 8, and once in high school. At MPS, 37.5% of students tested performed at or above grade level in science, compared to 56.3% in 2019.

Other area school districts also saw state test scores decrease over the past two years. MDE data showed the number of students performing at or above grade level went down at the Lakeview, Canby, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, Minneota and Tracy Area school districts. Area school districts tended to see bigger slides in reading proficiency than in math. However, some area districts stayed relatively stable in certain subjects. In the Lakeview School District, students' proficiency in science stayed about the same as in 2019, with 41% of students tested performing at or above grade level. In the RTR district, students' proficiency in math also stayed about the same as in 2019, with about 50% of students tested performing at or above grade level.

Statewide, Minnesota students' performance was down on math, reading and science tests this year. 52.5% of students tested were reading at or above grade level in 2021, MDE data said. That number was down almost 7 percentage points from 2019. Statewide proficiency was also down about 11 percentage points in math and over 7 percentage points in science, MDE data said.

At the same time the MDE released 2021 test data last week, it also announced the launch of a statewide system to support learning recovery. The MDE said the Collaborative Minnesota Partnerships to Advance Student Success (COMPASS) program aims to help support students in the areas of literacy, math and social-emotional learning.