2026 State Test Score Results Data Series
The 2026 State Test Score Results Data Series is published by the Education Data Center and is designed to provide updates on 2026 state assessment data.
What to expect: Our goal is to provide high-level insights on ELA and math state summative assessment outcomes for students in grades 3-8. We will publish overviews as State Education Agencies (SEAs) publicly release assessment results and/or as we receive aggregate results via public records requests.
For additional information about each state assessment, please see the end of this post. All available 2026 assessment data used for this data series will be published by the EDC in December.
Questions, comments, or suggestions? Let us know at info@eddatacenter.org!
Trends Over Time
Yesterday (Sep 30), the Minnesota Department of Education released the 2026 results from the state’s standardized ELA and math assessments for Grades 3-8, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs). Math continued with the MCA-III assessment, the same test administered since 2011. However, this year marks a new baseline for the ELA test, as the state administered the MCA-IV for the first time, aligned to the state’s 2020 ELA standards with new cut scores and achievement levels. We will refer to the assessment as the “ELA” test in this post; MDE uses “reading,” though it is aligned to the state’s ELA standards. According to MDE, “This is an updated assessment aligned to new, rigorous standards, and results from 2026 cannot be compared to versions previously administered” (MDE press release, September 30, 2026). MDE anticipates that the math assessment will transition to the MCA-IV in Spring 2028, aligned to the 2022 mathematics standards.
A brief look at outcomes by subject:
ELA: Approximately 49.5% of students in Grades 3-8 reached proficiency on the new assessment. Proficiency rates ranged from 43.5% (Grade 7) to 54.5% (Grade 5). Westonka led ELA performance in the state (81%), followed by Edina (75.9%), Hancock (74.6%), Minnetonka (74.1%), and Orono (73.1%).
Math: Approximately 46.2% of students in Grades 3-8 reached proficiency in 2026. This is the second year of a small drop in math scores, down from 46.9% in 2024 and 46.6% in 2025. All grades saw at least a small drop except for Grade 8, which rose from 41.95% to 42.34% (+0.39pp). The state remains about 10 percentage points below 2019 rates, though scores had been dropping in the years prior to the pandemic as well. Despite a negligible difference in math scores between male and female students in 2015, boys now outperform girls by 6.7 points in 2026, the widest gender gap in math over the past decade. Dawson-Boyd had the largest gains in math between 2025 and 2026 (+13pp), followed by Chokio-Alberta (+12pp, with <60 students), and Wrenshall (+9.8pp). Hancock posted the highest math proficiency rate in 2026 (80.6%), along with Westonka (77.5%) and Orono (75.5%). Minneapolis and St. Paul each improved in math compared to 2025 among students in Grades 3-8, rising +1.8pp and +0.9pp, respectively.
The state reported that the 2026 assessments took place following a tumultuous period in the state during Operation Metro Surge:
MCA results are a one-time look at student learning on Minnesota Academic Standards, reflecting what a student demonstrated knowing and understanding on the day of the test. In 2026, MCAs were administered from March 2 to early May, following an instruction period marked by profound disruption in schools across the state during Operation Metro Surge.
MDE also recently announced that it will be convening a task force to review the state’s standardized testing system and create recommendations for modernization. Students and parents can apply to join the 28-member task force by October 9, 2026. More information can be found here.
Results by Achievement Level
A Closer Look at 2026
State Assessment Background
Assessment Name: This includes the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) in ELA and mathematics from 2015-2018, and aggregated with the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) from 2019-2026 and, in 2026 ELA, the Alternate MCA. The 2026 ELA assessment transitioned from the MCA-III to the MCA-IV; math reflects the MCA-III across all years.
Additional Information:
General assessment resources can be found here: https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/test/mn/
Assessment results are available from the Minnesota Department of Education here: https://pub.education.mn.gov/MDEAnalytics/DataTopic.jsp?TOPICID=1
The 2026 state press release can be found here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNMDE/bulletins/42d0cae
Data presented here are specific to this state’s assessment and are not comparable to assessments administered by other states. For questions, please reach out to info@eddatacenter.org.
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