(St. Paul, MN) — “We will not shy away from what the data are telling us”, says state Education Commissioner Willie Jett, as statewide tests show mixed results for elementary and high school students — but mostly on the downside.
There’s an overall one-percent increase in math scores this year for students tested, but a one-percent drop in reading scores and a two-percent decrease in science scores since last year. Those all remain at about 10 points below pre-pandemic numbers.
Just over half (50.1 percent) of students tested did not meet grade-level standards for reading — slightly more (1 percent) than last year. In math, about 55 percent didn’t reach grade level standards — slightly fewer (.75 percent) than last year. In science, 61 percent fell short — a two-percent increase from last year.
Statewide consistent attendance fell, with about 70 percent of the students attending school at least 90 percent of the time. Prior to the pandemic, that number was about 85 percent.