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FL MCAs higher than state scores
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Wednesday, 09 July 2008
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Students in the Forest Lake Area School District performed slightly higher than the state average on this year’s Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments-II (MCA-II) math and reading tests, according to results released by the Minnesota Department of Education.
“We are committed to improving student achievement to ensure our learners meet the standards they need for school and life,” said Lynn Steenblock, superintendent.
“The scores indicate we are moving in the right direction and we have many measures in place to help our students succeed.”
This was the third year the state has administered the MCA-II. The tests were created to be more challenging than the previous MCA exam in order to align with the more rigorous state standards. The reading exams were given to all students in grades 3-8 and 10 and the math exams were given to all students in grades 3-8 and 11.
Overall, 63.6 percent of students in Forest Lake Area Schools are proficient in math and 73.5 percent of students are proficient in reading.
Statewide, 62 percent of students are proficient in math and 70.7 percent in reading.
Tenth grade reading scores increased this year, which can be attributed to the new reading graduation requirement. Students must pass the Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma, or GRAD, portion of the MCA-II reading test in order to graduate, which provided additional incentive for students to perform well.
Next year’s 11th-graders will have taken more advanced math courses in order to meet the state’s requirement for graduation, which will likely lead to similar increases in the 11th-grade Math MCA-II scores for 2009.
While the MCA-II results give a good snapshot of how the district is doing in meeting state standards they don’t tell the whole story.
Teachers and support staff use a variety of methods to measure individual student progress and adapt their teaching if needed to ensure kids are learning all they need to know.
“We’re making huge strides in the ways we are teaching students and reaching them on individual levels,” Steenblock said.
“We have very high expectations for our students and our staff, and together we will continue to do what it takes to help them meet their goals.”
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