St. Cloud Sun

Sherburne County saw 43.9% of their students pass the Science portion of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Of the 3,308 students who took part in the MCA, 36.3% met the testing standard while 7.6% exceeded expectations and scored highest on the test.

The passing rate among Sherburne County students fell by 4.5% from the previous school year.

The MCA and the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) are the state tests that help districts measure student progress toward Minnesota's academic standards and also meet federal and state legislative requirements. The tests cover math, reading and science, depending on the grade that is being tested. Most students take the MCA, but students who receive special education services and meet eligibility requirements may take the MTAS instead.

Analysis from The Nation's Report Card showed math and reading scores have fallen significantly in the last decade. Science scores have been steady in recent years.

School name	Students who met standards (%)	Students who exceed standards (%)
Becker Intermediate Elementary School	42.9%	9.1%
Becker Middle School	27%	1%
Becker Senior High School	40.5%	12.2%
Big Lake Middle School	21.3%	1.9%
Big Lake Senior High School	31%	7.6%
Clearview Elementary School	50%	13.5%
Elk River Senior High School	39.8%	12.2%
Independence Elementary School	45.5%	11.3%
Lincoln Elementary School	40.5%	7.8%
Meadowvale Elementary School	50%	6.7%
Parker Elementary School	46.5%	12.9%
Salk Middle School	30.5%	4.4%
Spectrum High School	50%	19.4%
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8	33.8%	1.4%
Three Rivers Montessori School	30.8%	0%
Twin Lakes Elementary School	46.1%	10.4%
VandenBerge Middle School	22.1%	1.7%
Westwood Elementary School	39.4%	5.3%
Zimmerman High School	39.2%	13.9%
Zimmerman Middle School	28.8%	1.7%