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New MN kindergarten assessment pilot program stats Fall 2026
The Minnesota Department of Education is set to start a new kindergarten assessment pilot program this fall, and officials say they are taking volunteers. FOX 9's Soyoung Kim has the details.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Education is set to start a new kindergarten assessment pilot program this fall that will observe students during daily classroom routines.
Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment pilot program
The backstory:
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature established the new Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment (MnFKA) pilot, which will begin this fall. The pilot will then roll out statewide in 2027.
The assessment is an observation-based tool. Teachers will observe students doing skills across daily routines built into the regular school day. The assessment really focuses on child development.
The data is then collected on an online platform.
The state says they are focused on measuring skills that are developmental in nature, including social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language and literacy, and mathematics. Math, in this case, is not a test of numbers, but rather a focus on broader concepts for this age group, including recognizing patterns and connections.
MDE says the only qualification to start kindergarten in Minnesota is to be five years old by Sept. 1.
What they're saying:
MDE said this approach will help provide a universal way of looking at students and how to support how they are developing.
"Kindergarten is a big transition, but it doesn’t have to be scary. Districts are there to support you and charter schools are there to support you," said Danielle Hayden, MDE’s Early Education Director.
"This is really designed in a way that gives teachers some really great information about what kids can know and do as they come into kindergarten so they can set up their classrooms and their environments and routines and instruction to really meet the needs of those kiddos that are sitting before them," Hayden added.
What's next:
MDE is currently taking submissions for volunteers from districts and charter schools across the state who want to participate in the pilot. They hope to have between 25–40 classrooms participate in the pilot. They will finalize this list of participating schools in the next month.