SE Minnesota News

Mower County saw 36.6% of their students pass the reading portion of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) in the 2023-24 school year, according to the ["Minnesota Department of Education", "Mower County"].

Of the 3,402 students who took part in the MCA, 29.1% met the testing standard while 7.5% exceeded expectations and scored highest on the test.

The passing rate among Mower County students fell by 0.7% from the previous school year.

The MCA and the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) are the state tests that help districts measure student progress toward Minnesota’s academic standards and also meet federal and state legislative requirements. The tests cover math, reading and science, depending on the grade that is being tested. Most students take the MCA, but students who receive special education services and meet eligibility requirements may take the MTAS instead.

Overall proficiency on Minnesota's MCA exams has declined compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to Minnesota's Report Card. Math proficiency, for example, dropped by more than 7% from 2019, while reading proficiency fell by almost 5%.

School name	Students who met standards (%)	Students who exceed standards (%)
Austin Area Learning Center	10.5%	0%
Austin Senior High School	29.2%	6.1%
Banfield Elementary School	30.6%	5.2%
Ellis Middle School	23.8%	7.5%
Grand Meadow Elementary School	54.7%	8%
Grand Meadow Middle School	45.7%	10.3%
Grand Meadow Senior High School	40.5%	13.5%
I.J. Holton Intermediate School	29.2%	8.2%
LeRoy Elementary School	21.8%	7.3%
LeRoy Secondary School	29.5%	9%
Lyle Elementary School	36.4%	4.6%
Lyle High School	25%	20%
Lyle Middle School	30.5%	5.3%
Neveln Elementary School	26.5%	2%
Southgate Elementary School	30.8%	9.9%
Southland Elementary School	30.1%	8.6%
Southland Middle School	33.9%	12.8%
Southland Senior High School	48%	22%
Sumner Elementary School	18.6%	0.9%