WC Minnesota News

Otter Tail County saw 43.3% 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 1,796 students who took part in the MCA, 33.9% met the testing standard while 9.4% exceeded expectations and scored highest on the test.

The passing rate among Otter Tail County students fell by 3.1% 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 (%)
Battle Lake Elementary School	30%	50%
Battle Lake Secondary School	33.9%	6.8%
Fergus Falls Area Learning Center	30%	0%
Henning Elementary School	50%	6.7%
Henning Secondary School	29%	2.6%
Kennedy High School	34.8%	17.1%
Kennedy Middle School	38.5%	16.8%
New York Mills Elementary School	39.7%	7.9%
New York Mills Secondary School	23.2%	0.9%
Parkers Prairie Elementary School	42.5%	5%
Parkers Prairie Secondary School	26.1%	5.8%
Pelican Rapids Secondary School	20.2%	0.8%
Perham Senior High School	47.9%	12.6%
Prairie Wind Middle School	40%	5.9%
Underwood Elementary School	35.6%	4.4%
Underwood Secondary School	21.7%	4.7%
Viking Elementary School	44.1%	6.8%