The results of last school year’s Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests (MCA’s) are in and they’re taking educators and parents by surprise.  A double digit drop in reading proficiency was realized across all Minnesota 3rd – 8th graders who took the test this past school year.  Reading proficiency dropped from 76% last year to 58% this year while math proficiency improved by three percentage points.  A deeper look at the results indicates a startling disparity between white students and students of color with a gap of 20 – 30 percentage points separating the two groups in math, science and reading.

One reason for the drastic drop may be a change to the test itself.  For the first time, the MCA’s were based on the Common Core curriculum, a national set of standards designed to reflect the knowledge and skills that children need to succeed in college and careers.

Test your reading comprehension skills with an example of the Common Core format from this past year’s MCA’s.

Read more about the results in Minneapolis