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While scoring largely remains steady among students across the state of Minnesota, the Austin Public School District saw decreases in the three areas of math, reading and science according to the 2024 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs), which were released Thursday.

After remaining steady from 2022 to 2023, the district saw the following decreases from 2023 to 2024:

Math

2023: 27.8%, 2024: 26.6%

Reading

2023: 35.4%, 2024: 33.7%

Science

2023: 28.5%, 2024: 21.1%

At the same time, the number of those in the school district taking the tests dropped in all three categories as well.

According to a press release from the Minnesota Department of Education long term key investments from the 2023 legislative session are currently being implemented, including the largest funding increase for K-12 education in state history; additional teacher recruitment tools; COMPASS, a statewide system of support for continuous improvement; and the Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) Act, which will overhaul reading education in the state.

New teacher recruitment and retention grant programs, teacher training efforts, and local literacy plans will begin in the coming school year. Once fully implemented, these investments are expected to  positively impact students for many years to come.