Today, 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 Julia Coleman (R–Waconia), Republican Lead on the Education Policy Committee, released the following statement:

"Minnesota students are continuing to struggle with meeting benchmarks in reading and math and we’ve seen little change in the years since the COVID shutdowns. Instead of prioritizing students, the Walz administration has continued to inject politics into schools and create more mandates that draw resources away from the classroom. It’s time we commit to putting students first, giving schools the resources to support their students without burdensome mandates, and focus on proven strategies to improve reading and math. Our children deserve to graduate with an education that prepares them for success in life and we simply aren’t doing enough."