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Minnesota Students Struggle to Recover from Pandemic-Induced Learning Declines

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Minnesota public school students continue to show significant declines in proficiency in math and reading, with only 43% meeting grade-level expectations in math and 48% in reading, according to statewide standardized assessment data released on Friday. This year's results reveal that students have yet to recover from the profound interruptions to learning caused by the pandemic, with proficiency rates 10 percentage points lower than they were in 2019, the last year for state assessments before the pandemic closed schools. Wide gaps persist between white students and students of other races and ethnicities, with significant disparities in math and reading proficiency.

Key Takeaways:

  • Proficiency rates in math and reading have not recovered since the pandemic, with only 43% of students meeting grade-level expectations in math and 48% in reading.
  • Wide gaps in proficiency persist between white students and students of other races and ethnicities, with disparities in math and reading proficiency.
  • Despite significant investments in education, including $2 billion in federal pandemic aid and historically large increases in state education funding, test scores remain stagnant.
  • Chronic absenteeism remains a significant challenge, with 24.5% of students attending less than 90% of school days in 2022-23, although attendance has improved slightly in 2023-24.
  • The state is piloting programs to combat chronic absenteeism, with 12 districts receiving $5 million in funding to improve attendance.
  • The state's multi-year effort to transform reading instruction through improved teacher training and evidence-based reading curriculum is expected to lead to improved outcomes in the future.

Statistics:

  • 43% of Minnesota public school students met grade-level expectations in math in 2024, compared to 54% in 2019.
  • 48% of Minnesota public school students met grade-level expectations in reading in 2024, compared to 58% in 2019.
  • 75.5% of students attended at least 90% of school days in 2023-24, up 1 percentage point from 2022-23.
  • 24.5% of students attended less than 90% of school days in 2022-23.
  • $5 million in funding was allocated to 12 districts to pilot programs to combat chronic absenteeism in the 2024-25 school year.
  • The state expects the pilot program to improve attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism in the future.

Sources:

  • (https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/tests/MinnesotasAcademicStandards-BasedAssessments/) Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments
  • (https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/24877389/embed?auto=1) Interactive or visual content
  • (https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/tests/Assessmentresults/) Minnesota Department of Education
  • (https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/24877176/embed?auto=1) Interactive or visual content

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