PASSING GRADES

Minneota’s School District received more good news when the results of the recent Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests were released.

Viking-land got more than passing grades, and in most cases, very good marks! Elementary Principal Jen Mahan-Deitte told the Minneota School Board Tuesday night the recent MCA Test showed, “A strong performance.” The tests report to the public how Minneota is doing as an academic school.

“We have come a long ways on our academics,” said Mahan-Deitte, who is also the curriculum director for the district.

“We did exceptionally well this year,” she added.

“A lot of schools have gone backwards this year. “The tests are getting longer and more rigorous,” said Superintendent Dan Deitte.

An example of how Minneota is faring academically came in the District (fifth, eighth and tenth grades) Science testing.

Minneota went from No. 2 in a 29-school area to No. 1. Percentage wise, the District Science area was about the same in comparison to 2017 at 68.2 percent. In 2013, Minneota was at about the 42 percent level but are now well over the state average.

“We did exceptionally well this year,” said MahanDeitte. If Minneota has a need to up its scores, it’s in the area of Special Education.

Currently, Minneota is ranked sixth in Science District Special Education and were about the same last year. “We were slightly above the state average but we have to do better,” said Mahan-Deitte.

The state also judges based on kids getting “Free and Reduced Lunches,” and Minneota fell a bit from 60.9 percent to 51.4 percent, but they are still in the top four in the area and well above the state average of 32.3.

IN READING in grades three through eighth grades and 10th grade, Minneota maintained its No. 1-ranking in the area at 72.2 percent — slightly down from last year. Since 2013, the reading level has gone from just above 50 percent to over 70 percent and the district has maintained that level.

Again, Special Education Reading is an area Minneota needs to work on but they are still above the state average at 29.4 percent in comparison to the state’s 26.8 percent.

In the area, Minneota is seventh of 29 schools. Minneota also needs to elevate its scores among students labeled as “English Learners.”

Most of them speak two languages. The Reading levels based on Free and Reduced lunches also finds Minneota with high marks at 62.4 percent, second in the area to Hills-Beaver Creek.

But they fell from first at 68 percent a year ago. Elementary reading (grades three to six) finds Minneota third at 70.5 percent in the same spot but slightly lower in percentage. Readers in grades seven, eight and 10 are the best in the area, same as last year, at 73.9 percent.

IN MATH, Minneota is No. 2 in grades three to eight and 11th grade at 68.6 percent. Springfield is first. They rose from fifth.

Special Education math scores are still low, below the state average.

English Learners rose to fifth in the area and the Free and Reduced averages rose from seventh place to third at 58.3 percent.

Elementary Math scores (grades three to six) took a little dip from last year, from 76.9 percent to 69.7 percent but are still among the top five schools in the area.

Secondary match scores are the best in the area, rising to 67.3 percent. Back in 2013 math, reading and science were all below the state average.

Now, they are all well above the state averages. In 2013, Minneota was 17.5 percent below the state average in math and is now 10.1 percent above.

In reading the district was 7.7 percent below the state average and is now 11.2 percent above. And in science, they were 10 percent below the state average and now are 14.9 percent above the state.

Principal Jeremy Frie said the teachers were applauded for their accomplishments.

“We celebrated being No. 1 in reading, science and math among 28 area schools.”

Supt. Dan Deitte

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The Minneota Mascot
Address: 201 N. Jefferson
Minneota, MN 56264

Phone:(507) 872-6492