SE Minnesota News

71.3 percent of Mower County students failed the Science portion of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) test in the 2021-2022 school year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

These students did not meet the required standards of the Science portion of the MCA, compared to the 28.6 percent who did.

The number of Mower County students who failed their Science assessments rose by 24.6 percent from the previous school year.

The MCA is given annually to Minnesota students to determine the academic readiness of students. Not every grade is tested each year.

Analysis from the Nation’s Report Card showed math and reading scores have fallen significantly in the last decade. Science scores have been steady in recent years.

A student's success or failure on the MCA does not impact their grades or their ability to graduate.

School Name	Students who did not meet met standards (%)
New Dominion Academy	100
Southern Minnesota Education Consortium Alternative Learning Center	88.9
Lyle Elementary School	88.9
Austin Area Learning Center	84.1
Lyle Secondary School	80.4
Ellis Middle School	80.2
Grand Meadow Middle School	75.3
Austin Senior High School	69.8
Grand Meadow Senior High School	67.7
Southland Middle School	67.6
Leroy Elementary School	66.7
I.J. Holton Intermediate School	62.8
Leroy Secondary School	62.5
Southland Elementary School	56.7
Southland Senior High School	55