Statewide Tests Reveal Growing Education Gap Between Races

There is a significant achievement gap between white students and students of color across Minnesota—that's according to the state Department of Education. On Tuesday, that agency released the 2011 statewide Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) scores for the 10th grade reading and 11th grade math tests.

“The bad news is that we are still seeing significant gaps between our white students compared to our students of color and poor kids,” Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius said in a statement. “It’s hard to cheer when only half of kids are scoring proficient in math, and only 17 percent of black kids are scoring proficient, despite a four percentage point gain."

Individual school results will not be released until August and Minnetonka Schools Superintendent Dr. Dennis Peterson is waiting until then to comment on the findings. But some local parents are able to check their child's individual results for the 10th grade reading and 11th grade math tests as early as today, according to the Minnetonka School District. Those parents may do that by logging onto Minnetonka's Skyward Family Access website. (Click here to go to that page).

Eighty-three percent of white students tested proficient on the 10th grade reading test, while only 62 percent of Asian students, 54 percent of Hispanic students and 49 percent of black students received passing marks.

Cassellius also expressed disappointment over the statewide math scores.

“When fewer than half of our students are proficient on math standards that have been in place since 2003, we need to be doing something different,” she said.

On the 11th grade math test, 56 percent of white students tested proficient, compared to 43 percent of Asian students, 23 percent of Hispanic students and 17 percent of black students.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the MCA scores are used to determine whether a school has made “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP).

If districts and schools receiving Title I funding fail to meet AYP goals for two or more consecutive years, they are classified as “in need of improvement” and face a battery of potential consequences. Corrective action may include a complete restructuring of the school, the replacement of school staff or the implementation of a new curriculum.