Balanced Assessment Systems

Assessment Purpose

Assessments are generally designed to gather evidence for one of the following purposes:

identify or predict students who may need additional support before the end of the school year;
summarize individual performance/achievement after a period of learning;
provide information useful to instruction; or
evaluate programs/policies.

There is no single assessment that can be used to support all purposes well. Rather, most assessments have an even more specific purpose that fits into one of the four identified above.

Assessment Systems

The statewide assessments serve an evaluative purpose
- Results are used in the accountability system to ensure all students have access to rigorous, standards-based content across the state.
- Statewide assessments are designed to be used by district and school leaders to evaluate curriculum materials and instructional program alignment to standards.
- This information is broader in scope than the information produced at the classroom level, where the learning takes place.
Districts administer additional assessments across classrooms or schools to:
- monitor progress,
- allocate resources, and/or
- identify students who are in need of additional support.
Teachers use assessments at the classroom level to:
- guide instruction and
- communicate learning with students and families.

Together, information from each level is coherently linked by the learning expectations defined in the academic standards.

A cohesive system of assessments has clear purpose, guides instruction and curriculum, produces useful data for monitoring student learning, and continuously informs decision making.

Assessments should be thoughtfully and strategically selected to support a range of decisions in classrooms, schools, and districts.
A random and disconnected collection of assessments with no guiding purpose promotes incoherence, inefficiency, and over-testing.
Assessments should work together in a cohesive system that produces data documenting student achievement towards meaningful learning targets.

This criteria for balanced assessment systems along with the types of assessments described are outlined in the infographics linked below.

Balanced Assessment System Infographic

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, require students be assessed annually in reading, mathematics, and science. The MCA and MTAS are the standards-based accountability assessments used to meet this requirement. They are developed and revised in collaboration with Minnesota educators, as outlined at the bottom of this page.

The results provide a window into equitable student learning opportunities across the state. This allows policymakers, school leaders, and the public to gain general insight into the extent students have access to rigorous standards-based content and instruction at their school and district. These results should always be used with additional evidence of student learning from the school or district level.

Who takes the MCA versus the MTAS?

Most students take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA). Students who receive special education services and meet the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) eligibility requirements take the MTAS.

Does the MCA assess students on the newly revised academic standards?

The MCA and MTAS are criterion-referenced assessments, which means they measure a snapshot of student learning of a pre-determined set of criteria: the Minnesota Academic Standards. As academic standards are revised, a new assessment is developed to align with the updated standards. The new academic standards are not assessed until a new assessment is fully developed and aligned to the revised set of standards.

Standards-Based Accountability Assessments
Subject	Grade Level Assessed	Standards Assessed on MCA-III	Standards Assessed on MCA-IV
Reading	3-8 and 10	Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in English Language Arts (2010). Last test will be administered in Spring 2025.	2020 Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in English Language Arts. Test will be administered beginning in Spring 2026.
Math	3-8 and 11	Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Mathematics (2007).	TBD
Science	5, 8, and high school (after completing a life science course)	Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Science (2009). Last test will be administered in Spring 2024.	2019 Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Science. Test will be administered beginning in Spring 2025.*

*A redesigned alternate assessment (in place of MTAS) will also be administered in science beginning in Spring 2025.

In addition to the standards-based accountability assessments, ESSA and Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.59, require all English learners (ELs) be assessed in grades K–12 in English language proficiency. ACCESS for ELs (ACCESS) and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs (Alternate ACCESS) are used to meet this federal requirement. These assessments are developed by the multi-state WIDA Consortium.

Who takes the ACCESS for ELLs vs Alternate ACCESS for ELLs?

Most EL students take the ACCESS, but EL students who receive special education services and meet the participation criteria may take the Alternate ACCESS. The primary purpose of the English language proficiency accountability assessments is to progress towards meeting the WIDA English Language Development Standards. For more information about ACCESS and Alternate ACESS, please visit WIDA ACCESS for ELLs Online.

The infographic below summarizes the continuous process used for developing the MCA and MTAS. Committees of educators are involved in each step and work to ensure all test content is culturally affirming and represents the rich diversity of Minnesota students.