by Mike Knaak
news@thenewsleaders.com
Sartell-St. Stephen school district students outperformed the state average for all grade levels and tests, according to results of the latest statewide tests released Aug. 27.
The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments measure reading and mathematics achievement for grades three through eight and high school. Science tests measure proficiency for grades five and eight and high school students.
Students took the tests in late April and early May. No tests were administered in 2020 as schools moved to remote and hybrid learning plans at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Here are the scores showing the percent of students meeting or exceeding standards:
Reading Sartell-St. Stephen State
3rd grade 62.0 48.5
4th grade 62.0 49.3
5th grade 68.8 59.4
6th grade 65.3 55.0
7th grade 68.8 48.3
8th grade 67.2 49.7
High school 62.2 58.3
Math Sartell-St. Stephen State
3rd grade 72.3 57.1
4th grade 66.8 53.8
5th grade 56.2 41.1
6th grade 55.3 37.2
7th grade 61.6 37.4
8th grade 68.4 39.8
High school 52.9 41.1
Science Sartell-St. Stephen State
5th grade 61.5 47.9
8th grade 42.1 33.8
High school 68.6 48.3
“We have a tradition of excellence in our school district and seeing our students continue to perform above state averages, despite all the Covid-19 challenges, is a point of pride,” said Superintendent Jeff Ridlehoover in a statement. “These results provide a snapshot of our student achievement and an opportunity for us to review our instructional practices to ensure we are aligned to our Minnesota State Standards.”
Statewide results show declines in the number of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards compared with 2019, the last time students took the assessments, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.
Sartell-St. Stephen’s scores showed a similar decline. For example, the districtwide reading score this year was 65.2 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards compared with 72.06 in 2019. Statewide, reading proficiency dropped from 58.29 to 52.5. Math scores also dropped with Sartell-St. Stephen’s district result declining from 75.24 percent to 61.9 while the statewide score dropped from 53.85 to 44.2.
Decreases in the number of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards were seen statewide across all student groups, according to the education department. American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic/Latino, Black, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students, as well as English learners, students eligible for free or reduced-price meals and students receiving special education services saw significantly lower levels of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards, compared with all students overall, across all three subjects.
