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North Branch and Chisago Lakes school districts are analyzing the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment testing results released at the start of this school year.  What is popularly called the state’s “report card" on individual districts and schools, is based on the most recent MCA exams.

Superintendents for the two districts tell the Press they are reviewing the data and neither of the school boards have had the data on an agenda yet.  See what they submitted at the end of this piece.

The MCAs are administered to evaluate academic levels of students tested at third grade, eighth and 11th grade. The percentages in the chart results are based on numbers of students who tested and those whose  grade level results align with what is being measured.  

The two districts had widely differing numbers of students participating. For example, Chisago Lakes test headcounts are nearly double the number in North Branch. This is due to opt out choices made by parents or guardians,  and fundamental class size differences. 

Yearly attendance numbers are also included in the release of MCA state reports.  A student is considered attending if they are in school 90 percent of the year.  North Branch reports attendance at 69.4 percent overall.  Chisago Lakes attendance is 75.8 percent overall.  Minnesota’s state attendance for 2023 is reported at 74.5 percent overall.  State attendance was below 70 percent in 2022.

According to the Minnesota Department of Education, Chisago Lakes registered some of the best state results, as percentages of testing pupils demonstrating proficiency in reading, math and science.  The MDE cautions against comparisons between districts however.  

Districts are dissimilar as far as economic status, levels of special education participation, and ability as well as the fact staff retention and training services available in each district may vary.  

In a press release the state MDE explains “long term key investments” in the form of state funding came out of the 2024 legislative session that are just being implemented.  Many districts are also overhauling the reading curriculum using new READ Act funding.

The Chisago Lakes District is ahead of the curve on reading and the superintendent tells the Press the reading tools in use in Chisago Lakes are being looked at as models by other districts.

The charts on this page show the MCA scores for reading, math and science for North Branch and Chisago Lakes students. 

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