MN test scores unreliable as student opt-out rates triple since 2019: Report

(FOX 9) - A new report warns that Minnesota's standardized test results may not give a true picture of school performance as more students opt out or miss annual comprehensive testing. 

Standardized testing results in Minnesota

What we know:

Like many states, Minnesota law gives parents and students the ability to refuse, or "opt out" of Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) testing.

According to North Star Policy Action, non-participation in the MCAs has nearly tripled since before the pandemic.

In 2019, fewer than 1 in 25 grade-level reading tests failed to meet the federal government's 95% participation threshold, but by 2025, that number jumped to about 1 in 9.

The report found that 40% of all 10th-grade reading tests statewide failed to meet the standard in 2025.

Dig deeper:

The report shows that the trend is not limited to one area or type of school, as suburban and rural schools see higher rates of test refusal, while urban schools like those in Minneapolis and St. Paul are more affected by student absences. Charter schools and those specializing in special education also see higher non-participation, with nearly half of grade-level reading tests in special education schools failing to meet federal standards, the report says.

Some schools are seeing especially high rates, with Farmington High School and Menahga High School both reporting non-participation near 60% among 10th and 8th grade students.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer than 4% of grade/school combinations failed to meet the participation threshold.

However, by 2025, the report outlines that number had more than tripled to 11.5%, based on analysis of data from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).

What they're saying:

"This isn't a handful of outlier schools. We're seeing high non-participation in big districts and small ones, cities and small towns, and it's gotten dramatically worse since before the pandemic," Aaron Rosenthal, research director at North Star Policy Action, said in a statement accompanying the report. "Policymakers who rely on MCA scores to judge school performance need to reckon with how much of the picture is missing."

The backstory:

The MCAs are Minnesota's main statewide standardized tests in reading, math and science, given to students in select grades.

The federal government requires at least 95% participation in these tests to ensure results are meaningful for comparing school performance.

The report also implies that the 2025 data comes before Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement operation, which could result in even higher non-participation rates in 2026.