Last week, the Minnesota Department of Education released the year’s updated MCA test scores. For the third year in a row, scores are nearly flat and show only 45.2% of students are meeting grade level standards in math and 49.6% of students are meeting grade level standards in reading.

Senator Mark Koran (R–North Branch) released the following statement:

“The latest student test scores show the status quo isn’t working,” said Sen. Koran. “Too much of the so-called ‘historic funding’ from recent years isn’t reaching the classroom. Instead it’s going to things like unemployment insurance for seasonal school workers and mandates that don’t actually improve student achievement. It’s time to put students first and focus dollars back on the classroom where they can make a real difference in student learning, not on meaningless mandates from St. Paul that no teacher or student asked for.”