Minnesota Scores Stagnant on ‘National Report Card” Tests

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The latest national figures show Minnesota students' performance in math and reading this year was mostly stagnant or declined from 2013.

The results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress released Wednesday say Minnesota fourth-graders' scores in math and reading dropped from record highs in 2013. No significant improvement was shown by Minnesota eighth-graders in reading and math scores.

Overall, Minnesota students' performance on the assessment was among the country's best. But a gap remains in scores between white and minority students in Minnesota, worse than the national average in nearly every measure.

The assessment is given every two years to a sample of students in fourth and eighth grade across the country. Nearly 10,000 Minnesota students took the exam.