Minnesota test scores drop as a result of the pandemic

With this year’s school year right around the corner The Minnesota Department of Education has released statewide test scores.

Minnesota saw a drop in scores from reading to math and science. Math dropped the most, falling by 11 percentage points.

The situation is understood to be an effect of the pandemic and now educators are gearing up to make sure students don’t fall behind. “How are we going to create a better system, that creates better outcomes is really what this is about”, says Duluth Superintendent John Magas.

Across the state, schools say the main tool needed to better learning isn’t or more assignments or tests, but something less tangible. "One of the main focuses we have going on forward into this year, and really it’s every year is building those strong relationships with the kids in the classroom”, says Washington Principle Berg. Elaborating that those connections are key in bettering learning.

Even though engagement was hindered in 2020, there were some technological pandemic methods that schools found beneficial. And will bring some of them into this upcoming school year. Superintendent Magas says that the content management system schools use will return, due to students being able to access all assignments in one spot. And Principle Berg says that his school could bring back virtual parent teacher conferences as well.

Now with areas of improvement played out for them, and the re-evaluating process underway Minnesota schools are ready to go above and beyond for this school year.

Superintendent Magas states, “seat time doesn’t necessarily equal learning. And so how does the experience become rich, deep, and engaging. So that whether you are on a screen or you are in a desk, that you are engaged in that learning where it’s sticky and it’s new and really makes a difference.”