MARSHALL — Minnesota students’ test scores in math, reading and science stayed steady in the past school year, according to new data released by the Minnesota Department of Education. On a local level, students at Marshall Public Schools were doing better than average on state math and science tests.

“We were pleased to see our math scores this year continue to be higher than the state average in nearly all demographic areas and in science, we outperformed the state average in all demographic areas,” said Marshall Public Schools Superintendent Jeremy Williams. MPS reading scores weren’t higher than the state average, but Williams said the district is continuing to work on teacher training and other measures to help support students learning to read.

On Thursday, the Department of Education released scores for the 2024 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs), statewide tests that help measure whether students are meeting Minnesota academic standards. They also released data on school attendance rates for the 2022-23 school year.

“Across the board, attendance rates are up and test scores are holding steady,” Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett said in a media conference call Thursday morning.

The school attendance data released Thursday tracked consistent attendance, which is the number of students attending school at least 90% of the time, the MDE said. Statewide, 74.5% of Minnesota students had consistent attendance in 2023, compared to 69.8% in 2022.

Statewide, the percentage of students who met or exceeded standards on the MCAs was also holding steady compared to last year. Across Minnesota, 45.5% of students met or exceeded standards on state math tests, Jett said. Statewide, 49.9% of students met or exceeded standards in reading, and 39.6% met or exceeded standards in science.

The math, reading and science proficiency figures Jett provided looked at statewide scores on the MCAs, as well as the ACCESS test for English language learners and alternative assessment tests.

Jett said test scores were an important piece of information on how students were doing, but they did not tell the whole story. “Statewide assessment and accountability data are an important part of a broader set of measures that tell our schools and families how students are doing and guide MDE in planning how to best support our school communities,” he said.

Jett said Minnesota is starting to see the implementation of investments in education made in the 2023 Legislative session. The list of investments includes funding increases for K-12 education; the READ act, which focuses on reading education; and COMPASS, a statewide support system to help improve education.

“We are proud of the work our educators have done to strengthen relationships to boost attendance and make sure students feel welcomed and supported. Thank you students, educators and families for the work you’ve done to prioritize student engagement and learning,” Jett said in a Thursday news release. “These efforts are making a difference, and we look forward to seeing the consistent attendance rates continue to rise.”

At MPS, state test scores were holding steady in math, with 48.1% of students showing proficiency, MDE data said. Reading test scores were down from last year, with 42.9% of students showing proficiency. However, science test scores were up from last year, with 43.2% of students showing proficiency.

Proficiency rates in both math and science at MPS were above the statewide rates. MPS also had consistent school attendance above the statewide rate, with 91.7% of students attending school consistently.

Williams said the school district is continuing to focus on building literacy for students, and is working on implementing the Science of Reading program.

“This year, our K-4 teachers are participating in Science of Reading training that is part of the READ Act legislation, where they will learn more about how our students learn to read and how to best support each individual student,” Williams said. “We are also piloting new reading curriculum this fall for implementation in our classrooms that aligns with the READ Act and helps us meet the needs of all learners.”

Williams said MPS has also implemented screening procedures to identify at-risk learners, and is using Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to help make sure kids are getting the individual instruction and interventions they need.

There are still challenges ahead for education at MPS, Williams said. “One trend we continue to see is more students with higher needs for mental health and social/emotional supports,” he said. Part of the MTSS process focuses on mental health and other needs that affect students outside the classroom, he said.

“At Southview (Elementary), the Middle School, and the High School, our MTSS processes follow the BARR (Building Assests Reducing Risks) framework, that looks at multiple areas of needs our students have, and helps drive how we work with families and community resources to address those needs,” Williams said.