MCA MATH & REMEDIATION INFORMATION

 

In the 2009 legislative session, the statute changed the mathematics requirements for students in the classes of 2010–2014. Students in these five classes are not required pass the Mathematics GRAD in order to be eligible to graduate from high school. Students who do not pass the Mathematics GRAD are eligible to receive a high school diploma if they:

1. complete with a passing grade all state and local coursework and credits required for graduation by the school board granting the students their diploma,
2. participate in the assessment until they pass the Mathematics GRAD – or at least two GRAD retests, whichever comes first, and
3. participate in district-prescribed academic remediation in mathematics.               

 

 

 

Meeting the Mathematics Graduation Requirement

The 2009 Education Bill changed the mathematics graduation requirements for students in the Classes of 2010-2014. Students in these five classes are not required to obtain a proficient score on the Mathematics Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA-II) or the Mathematics Test for English Language Learners (MTELL), or pass the Mathematics Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma (GRAD) in order to be eligible to graduate from high school.

How do these students meet the mathematics graduation requirement?

Students in the Classes of 2010-2014 meet the state mathematics graduation requirement by:

1. Completing with a passing score or grade all state and local coursework and credits required for graduation by the school board granting the students their diploma, and

2. Receiving a score of 1150 or higher on the Mathematics MCA-II or a score of 50 or higher on the Mathematics GRAD component.

OR

1. Completing with a passing score or grade all state and local coursework and credits required for graduation by the school board granting the students their diploma, and

2. Participating in district-prescribed academic remediation in mathematics, and

3. Fully participating in at least two retests of the Mathematics GRAD or until they pass the Mathematics GRAD, whichever comes first.

Remediation

State law does not specify the nature of the remediation taken by students. It only says that students must participate in remediation activities before taking a Mathematics GRAD retest. The GRAD rule (3501.1110) states that the student must have a minimum of six weeks for remediation before the next opportunity, hence the requirement that students must wait two months between administrations of a GRAD retest.

What information from graduation tests has to go on the student transcript?

The 2009 Education Bill states that a district, school or charter school must place a student’s highest score for each of the following tests on the student’s high school transcript: Mathematics MCA-II, Reading MCA-II and Writing GRAD, and if applicable, Mathematics GRAD and Reading GRAD.

What are the expectations for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students?

Everything that has been said so far also applies to LEP students with the following exception: LEP students who first enter a Minnesota school at the beginning of grade 9 are not required to pass any of the GRAD assessments if they have met all other district requirements for graduation within four years of entering a Minnesota school.

How about special education students on an Individual Education Plan (IEP)?

An IEP team can set an individual passing score on the Mathematics MCA-II, Mathematics GRAD or MTELL. Since Option 2 above does not require passing a mathematics graduation test, setting an individual passing score is a moot point. An IEP team can decide that a student should take the Mathematics Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) rather than the Mathematics MCA-II/GRAD or MTELL. In that case, if the student is not proficient on the alternate achievement standards, there are no retests available and the student is deemed to have passed.

 

 

 

Q & A on Remediation for Diploma Tests

 

Q: Did the role of remediation change when the GRAD rule became final in March 2009?

A:  A little. Under the BST rule, districts were expected to provide remediation to help students pass retests on the BST. Under the GRAD rule, “students must have a minimum of six weeks for remediation before the next testing opportunity.” In addition, districts must develop a remediation plan for students who don’t pass two consecutive GRAD retests.

 

Q: Did the role of remediation change with the Education Bill that passed in May 2009?

A:  Yes, but only for mathematics. Since state law trumps agency rule, the contents of the bill that address mathematics take precedent over what the GRAD rule says about mathematics.

 

Q: What changed for mathematics?

A:  Students who do not pass the Mathematics GRAD are eligible to receive a high school diploma if they:

·         complete with a passing grade all state and local coursework and credits required for graduation by the school board granting the students their diploma,

·         participate in district-prescribed academic remediation in mathematics, and

·         fully participate in at least two retests of the Mathematics GRAD or until they pass the Mathematics GRAD, whichever comes first.

 

Q: Does state law tell the district what kind of remediation should be offered?

A:  No. The district decides the nature of the remediation (e.g., type or length of instruction).

 

Q: Can remediation vary for each student?

A:  Yes. It makes sense that students who are not close to passing, based on their initial scores, would have more intensive remediation than students who are close to passing.

Q: Can students who didn’t pass the mathematics tests (MCA-II, GRAD component) take the Mathematics GRAD in July, even if they didn’t “participate in district-prescribed remediation?”

A:  Technically, yes. The statute doesn’t say that the student should complete the remediation before the Mathematics GRAD retest. However, it does require the student to participate in mathematics remediation as one of the conditions for earning a diploma without passing the Mathematics GRAD. Districts should document the participation in district-prescribed academic remediation of students who do not pass two attempts at the Mathematics GRAD retest. This plan can include appropriate efforts that the district and student identify as likely to be effective in remediation (e.g., after-school sessions, summer school, or private tutoring if offered as a privately-sponsored activity by the student or parent/guardian).

 

Q: Is remediation required for students who don’t pass the Reading or Written Composition GRAD the first time they take it?

A:  Students must have at least six weeks for remediation before the next testing opportunity. This does not mean that remediation is required after failing the first attempt; however, it is recommended. This remediation can be provided through any variety of means, just as in the case of the math remediation.

      If a student has not passed one of the GRAD tests after two retests, the district must develop a remediation plan. As with the math, this plan can include appropriate efforts that the district and student identify as likely to be effective in remediation (e.g., after-school sessions, summer school, or private tutoring if offered as a privately-sponsored activity by the student or parent/guardian).