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Contact: Chad Schmidt |
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Media Release |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Edina Public Schools Leads State in Performance on
Edina, Minn., Sept. 14, 2011 – Results of the 2010-2011 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments released today by the Minnesota Department of Education show that Edina Public Schools continues to lead the state in reading and math proficiency rates. Edina’s overall reading proficiency rate was 91.5 percent, increasing from 90.3 percent last year and compared to the state average of 74 percent. Proficiency in math was 79.6 percent, falling 7.3 percentage points from 86.9 in 2009-10 and compared to the state average of 56 percent. Statewide math performance in grades three through eight fell 8.7 percentage points as this was the first year of the new MCA-III math exam aligned to more rigorous state standards. The five-year trend shows that Edina is consistently 20 percentage points above the statewide average in both reading and math proficiency rates. “Over the last five years, Edina’s proficiency rates in math and reading have been among the highest in the state,” noted Dr. Chad Schmidt, director of research and evaluation. “While we saw a dip in math proficiency this year, some fluctuation is not unusual when a new test with a new format is administered for the first time.” Reading proficiency increased at the elementary level by 2 percentage points over last year while math fell by nine. At the middle level, reading proficiency rates increased by one percent and math decreased by nine. High school students’ proficiency in reading held steady compared to 2009-10 results, while math proficiency increased by 2 percent. Edina Public Schools has started to see results that indicate a narrowing of the achievement gap. Several student groups as defined by federal No Child Left Behind legislation, including Black, Free-Reduced Price Meal, and Limited English Proficient, have shown double-digit gains in reading proficiency over the last four years. These improvements in proficiency have appeared at the same time that overall student performance in reading has remained at or near the top of the state. Some student groups showed smaller gains in math as well. Since this is the first year of the MCA-III math exam, 2011 is considered a baseline year and should not be directly compared to previous year’s math proficiency rates. The full MCAs results can be found here.
About Edina Public Schools Edina Public Schools has six elementary schools (K-5), two middle schools (6-9), and one senior high (10-12). As Independent School District No. 273, it serves a large portion of Edina, a first tier Minneapolis suburb comprised of approximately 47,000 people. The Edina school system – with 578 teachers and 8,300 students – is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation and is known for its educational excellence, with over 90 percent of high school seniors going on to college. Its web site is at www.edina.k12.mn.us.
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