Minnesota Department of Education :

State Submits Education Jobs Fund (Ed Jobs) Application

The State of Minnesota today submitted its application for the Education Jobs Fund money recently made available by the federal government. Minnesota will allocate the money to school districts and charter schools based on the state primary funding formula.

The Ed Jobs program is a one-time federal program that provides $10 billion in assistance to states, (including $167 million to Minnesota), to save or create education jobs for the 2010-2011 school year. Jobs funded under this program include those that provide educational and related services for early childhood, elementary, and secondary education. The Ed Jobs program is authorized in Public Law No. 111-226, which was signed into law on August 10, 2010. Read the Frequently Asked Questions.  View the Estimated Allocations Spreadsheet.

Take the MCA Challenge at the Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is inviting Minnesotans to take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) Challenge at the Minnesota State Fair for a fun and free preview of the innovative online MCA assessment that students take every spring.

State Fair visitors will have the opportunity to test at three different levels in math and science: elementary, middle and high school. MDE welcomes visitors of all ages to test their knowledge with this fun, free, and quick challenge. Read news release.

World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium

The Minnesota Department of Education is pleased to announce that it will join the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium. WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English Learners. 

 “With Minnesota’s participation in WIDA, the state’s English Learners will benefit from rigorous English language proficiency standards aligned to state academic content standards,” said Commissioner Alice Seagren. “Through standards, assessments and professional development, WIDA provides tools and information to educators based on research into best practices for serving this diverse group of students.” Read complete notice.

Minnesota Students Lead Again on ACT Scores
Participation increases to 70 percent of all high school grads

For the sixth straight year, Minnesota's high school graduates posted the highest average ACT score among states where a majority of graduates took the college entrance exam. The average score for Minnesota's 2010 high school graduates was 22.9 on a 0 to 36 scale. Minnesota's average score has increased each of the last four years, with the average score in 2009 at 22.7. The average ACT score for 2010 high school graduates nationally was 21.1.

"Minnesota's commitment to college and career readiness has made a significant difference, especially over the past five years," said Education Commissioner Alice Seagren. "This is a reflection of the work Minnesota is doing to prepare students for college and career readiness."

Minnesota’s success can be attributed to increasing the rigor of Minnesota's K-12 academic standards, increasing access for students to rigorous courses such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Post Secondary Enrollment Options and concurrent enrollment. ACT's Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) provides counselors from approximately 200 districts with training on how to analyze and utilize EPAS data to help guide students into more rigorous courses. Read news release.

Minnesota Department of Education Releases Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Data

Of 2,291 Minnesota schools earning an AYP status in 2010, 1,060 schools made AYP compared to 1,066 schools in 2009. There were 1,048 schools that did not make AYP in 2010, which remained the same as in 2009. One hundred eighty-three schools had insufficient data in 2010. Minnesota currently has 342 Title I schools in need of improvement, which will be providing additional options and services to students. 

“I am encouraged that even as the percent of students required to meet proficiency is increasing each year, we are not seeing a corresponding increase in schools not meeting targets,” said Commissioner Alice Seagren. “We need to continue our focus to help each and every child prepare for college and career success.” Read news release.  Look up your school or district.  View all schools and districts results.  View summary analysis.

Schools Receive Nearly $24.5 Million Dollars in School Improvement Grants for Comprehensive Turnaround

The Minnesota Department of Education announced nearly $24.5 million dollars in School Improvement Grants (SIG) to nineteen of the state's consistently lowest-achieving schools. Another seven schools that applied for grants were determined not to have the means necessary to fully and effectively implement turnaround strategy plans by September, 2010. These schools will have the opportunity to reapply for over $13 million in SIG funds in 2011.

Office of Turnaround Schools Director Patricia King explained, “Not only do these nineteen schools have the willingness to make the quick and dramatic changes necessary to help students achieve, they also have the capacity to make the necessary changes. I look forward to working with these schools to make significant gains in student achievement.” Read news release.  Watch video.

Minnesota Science MCA-II Scores Show Steady Improvement

Science MCA-II online assessment results released by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) today show steady improvement over last year’s results.  Overall, the percentage of students proficient on the 2010 MCA-II Science assessment increased 1 to 5 percentage points over last year.

“Minnesota’s focus on rigorous science education is showing steady gains in student achievement,” Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said.  “These are encouraging gains for minority students in eighth grade and high school students. Yet, we must continue our efforts to prepare all Minnesota students for success after high school.” Read news release.  View results.  View results summary.

College and Career Readiness Survey

We are seeking feedback from middle- and high school-age students, AND parents of middle- and high school-age students. Your feedback will help us discover additional ways to encourage students to make the best possible choices when registering for academic courses required for graduation. Enter the survey.

Superintendents Conference – August 4, 2010

Join us for the annual Superintendents Conference on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at the Northland Inn in Brooklyn Park. The conference is scheduled one week earlier this year to correspond with the Minnesota School Board Association's (MSBA) summer seminar. Access the registration form.  View the agenda.  View session schedule.  Read session descriptions.

Hiawatha Leadership Academy Enters Minnesota’s Nation-Leading Q Comp Program

Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren announced today that the Hiawatha Leadership Academy will implement Minnesota’s nation-leading Q Comp performance and professional pay program. The school will receive $50,440 in total revenue for implementation in the 2009-10 school year.

“I commend Hiawatha Leadership Academy on their decision to participate in this important education reform,” said Commissioner Seagren. "Q comp has been a transformative program for my teaching staff. Teachers are rewarded based on student academic performance rather than how many years they have in the system. Performance pay in tough economic times has a huge impact on teacher morale for their hard work and academic results," said Chief Executive Officer and School Leader Shannon Blankenship. Read news release.

Twenty-six Schools Apply for School Improvement Grant Opportunity

Most of the schools eligible to apply for the federal government’s $34 million School Improvement Grant met the July 1st deadline to access part of the grant targeting the state’s chronically struggling schools. According to the Minnesota Department of Education, 26 schools submitted applications before the deadline and four schools declined to apply.

“We are eager to work with the schools applying for this grant to help all of their students get the education they deserve," said Education Commissioner Alice Seagren.

Department staff will complete the review of applications within two weeks and meet with schools for clarifications. The grants will be awarded on August 1, 2010. Read news release.

Math Scores Improve Across the Board as State Releases MCA Test Results

Minnesota students in grades three through eight and grade eleven improved their scores in math this spring as over 426,000 students took the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) in math and reading. While reading scores stayed relatively constant for most grades, the eleventh grade results continued their upward trend for the second year in a row.

“The hard work of students, parents and teachers in our statewide focus on math is really starting to pay off with these steadily improving test results in elementary and middle school,” Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said. “Today’s results also show what happens when we raise expectations for our high school students and hold them accountable for their efforts in reading by requiring a certain level of proficiency for graduation.” Read news release.  View test results.  Watch the video.

School Improvement Reports Identify Problems at Minnesota’s Lowest Performing Schools

The Minnesota Department of Education released independent evaluations of 32 of Minnesota’s persistently lowest performing schools, revealing inconsistent instructional practices, poor leadership and a lack of community and parent involvement. The reports were part of the federal government’s $34 million School Improvement Grant to Minnesota that targets the state’s chronically struggling schools.
 
“These schools do not have the fundamental educational practices in place for their students to be successful,” said Education Commissioner Alice Seagren. “As commissioner, I am fully committed to working with these communities to develop a strong turnaround plan using the resources of this grant. I strongly encourage each school to apply for this funding, because these students deserve the best education possible.” Read news release.  View review reports.  Watch Commissioner Seagren's Media Advisory.

Minnesota Students Make Steady Progress on Reading, Math Statewide Assessments

Minnesota students are better prepared for career and postsecondary education than they were only a few years ago according to Minnesota graduation requirements results announced by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).

In the Math Graduation-Required Assessments for Diploma (GRAD), which is embedded in the Math MCA-II, 58 percent of Minnesota 11th-graders met the state’s more rigorous math graduation requirement on the first attempt by earning a proficient score on MCA-II or a passing score on the GRAD. That is a 1 percent increase from 2009.

“More students are achieving proficiency and meeting Minnesota’s rigorous Math and Reading requirement,” Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said.  “We need to continue our efforts to prepare every Minnesota student for success in the 21st century through greater academic rigor.” Read news release.  View presentation.

Stronger Oversight Coming to Minnesota Charter Schools: New Authorizers Approved

The Minnesota Department of Education approved the first six charter school authorizers under a new law passed by the legislature in the 2009 session. All charter school authorizers (formerly known as “sponsors”) have to be approved by the department by June 30, 2011. The new criteria for authorizers include stricter financial and academic controls and adherence to national standards for charter school oversight and quality.

The six approved today to authorize charter schools are: Anoka Technical College, Friends of Education, Minneapolis Public Schools, Novation Education Opportunities, Student Achievement Minnesota and Volunteers of America - Minnesota. Read the news release.

Annual United States Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C. Scheduled: March 5-12, 2011

Established in 1962 by U.S. Senate Resolution, the program offers two student leaders from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity an all expense paid week in Washington experiencing their national government in action. Expenses provided courtesy of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

Students will visit Capitol Hill, the White House, Supreme Court, Pentagon and State Department and meet with the highest–level officials from each branch of government. Each will be awarded a $5,000 College scholarship for undergraduate studies. For additional information, visit the U.S. Senate Youth Website. Download a copy of the application. or contact Paul Hoffman.

Minnesota Posts Strong and Steady Reading Scores on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Overall reading achievement levels for Minnesota’s fourth and eighth graders remained near the top in the nation, with only three states posting better scores in eighth grade and only six states posting better scores in fourth grade according to the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released today by the National Center for Education Statistics. 

Minnesota recently received a $34 million federal School Improvement Grant to improve achievement at Minnesota’s persistently lowest performing schools. Read news release. Watch the video.

More Minnesota Public School Students Taking, Succeeding on Advanced Placement Exams

Minnesota is defying national trends with 10 percent more Minnesota students taking Advanced Placement exams and 13 percent more students succeeding with scores of 3 or higher - the score predictive of college success.

The College Board’s sixth annual AP Report to the Nation reports that 15.5 percent of Minnesota’s public school students in the class of 2009 achieved an AP Exam score of 3 or higher during their high school years — up from 14.2 percent in 2008 and 10.6 percent in 2004.

"I congratulate Minnesota’s educators, administrators and policymakers for increasing access to AP courses for all students," said College Board President Gaston Caperton. "Still, there is more work to do to meet our nation’s education goals of ensuring more students, including underrepresented students, are prepared for the rigors of college and the lifetime of opportunities that college success provides."  Read News Release.

Minnesota Department of Education on Twitter

You can now follow the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on Twitter, which is a free real-time short messaging service. 

Follow MDE at: http://twitter.com/MnDeptEd