Questions and Answers about the State Graduation Assessment Requirements

Questions and Answers about the Graduation Assessment Requirements
What are graduation assessment requirements?

In order to be eligible for a diploma from a Minnesota public high school, all students must fulfill graduation assessment requirements. Based on the revisions to Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, the graduation assessment requirements have changed.

There are different routes to meeting graduation assessment requirements depending on what year students were first enrolled in grade 8. Parents/guardians should contact their student’s school for further information.

With the changes to the graduation assessment requirements, additional details and information will continue to be provided on the MDE website as needed. Please refer to the Just for Parents section of the MDE website for the most up-to-date information. (Go to Just for Parents > Testing Information.)

What are routes to meeting state graduation assessment requirements?
Grade 12 Student and Older in School Year 2014–2015 (first enrolled in grade 8 in 2010–2011 or earlier) These students can meet the graduation assessment requirements in reading, mathematics, and writing through any combination of the three options outlined below as long as requirements are met in each subject.

1. Meet graduation assessment requirements through Graduation-Required Assessments for Diploma (GRAD) in reading, mathematics and written composition, which include:

• Earning a proficient score. If students were proficient (achieved Meets or Exceeds the Standards) on the grade 10 Reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) and/or the grade 11 Mathematics MCA, they have met their graduation assessment requirement for those subjects.        o This also applies to students who took the high school MCA-Modified1 or Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) in place of the MCAs.
• Earning a passing score on the Written Composition GRAD or Reading and Mathematics GRAD retests. o The Minnesota Alternate Assessment: Writing can be completed for students who need an alternate assessment to meet the requirements for writing. 1 2013–2014 was the last administration year of the MCA-Modified assessments.
• Meeting GRAD alternate routes, which may include the following: o Receive an individual passing score (for students on an IEP or 504 plan)    o Receive an English learner (EL) exemption   o Pass another state’s accountability assessment that is approved by MDE (reciprocity)   o Meet mathematics alternate pathway requirements, only for students first enrolled in grade 8 through 2009-2010 (who are likely older than grade 12) 

OR 2.
Students can take the ACT college entrance exam, the WorkKeys job skills assessment, the Compass college placement test, or the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to meet graduation assessment requirements in reading, mathematics, and/or writing.

OR 3.
A school district may also substitute a score from an alternative, equivalent assessment to satisfy the graduation assessment requirements. Grade 11 Student in School Year 2014–2015 (first enrolled in grade 8 in 2011– 2012) These students will meet graduation assessment requirements through participation in the grade 11 ACT Plus Writing (college entrance exam) if in attendance during the statewide administration in spring 2015. However, if a student does not participate in the grade 11 ACT Plus Writing in spring 2015, students can meet the graduation assessment requirements in reading, mathematics, and writing through any combination of the three options outlined above under “Grade 12 Student and Older in School Year 2014–2015.”

It is up to individual students and their families to decide which route is most appropriate. Grade 10 Student and Younger in School Year 2014–2015 (first enrolled in grade 8 in 2012–2013 and later) These students will meet graduation assessment requirements through participation in the series of career and college assessments, which will first be administered in school year 2014– 2015:

• Take the grade 8 career and college assessment AND
• Take the grade 10 career and college assessment AND
• Take the grade 11 ACT Plus Writing statewide administration (college entrance exam

Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and who are eligible for the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) may participate in either the grade 10 Reading MTAS or the grade 11 Mathematics MTAS (or take both assessments) to meet graduation assessment requirements. The MTAS Parent Fact Sheet is available on the MDE website for further information. View the MTAS Parent Fact Sheet on the MDE website. (Go to Just for Parents > Testing Information.) Contact your student’s school for additional information about the participation of students in special circumstances (for example, students who move to Minnesota after the administration of a career and college assessment). 

For students first enrolled in grade 8 in 2012–2013 or later, a diploma will not be denied due to a student not participating in one or more of the career and college assessments. 

For more information, contact: Statewide Testing mde.testing@state.mn.us 

Minnesota Department of Education 

1500 Highway 36 West 

Roseville, MN 55113-4266 

http://education.state.mn.us 

January 2015