Another Drop in Rochester Public Schools Student Test Scores

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The new Minnesota Report Card issued by the State Education Department illustrates the impact of the COVID pandemic and other factors on student performance.

It found significant declines in grade-level proficiency standards by students in the Rochester School District and statewide. The percentage of Rochester public school students that demonstrated proficiency in math fell from 53% in 2018 to only 39.8% this year. Reading proficiency has dropped from 57.3% in 2018 to 49.5%, while standardized tests found only 36.4% of the students in the Rochester school district were able to demonstrate grade-level proficiency in science this year. Four years ago, it was 44.9%.

Statewide, math proficiency dropped from 57.2% down to 44.8%, reading proficiency slid from 59.9% to 51.1%, and grade level proficiency in science declined from 52% to 41.3% between 2018 and this year.

In response, the Minnesota Department of Education today announced an expansion of its Collaborative Minnesota Partnerships to Advance Student Success Program. The COMPASS program will extend assistance to 371 Minnesota public schools and 15 school districts over the next three years. The schools and school districts were identified through standardized testing results, high school graduation rates, and other assessments.

Three Rochester public schools are on the list. Riverside Elementary was identified to receive targeted assistance due to the academic performance of certain student groups, the Rochester Alternative Learning Center will receive comprehensive assistance due to its lower graduation rate and the ALC Summer Credit Recovery is on the list because the program is designed for a student population that faces a higher risk of not graduating.