• 2024-25 District Testing Windows
• MAP schedule by school (FALL)
• MAP schedule by school (WINTER)
• MAP schedule by school (SPRING)
• ACCESS testing schedule by school
• MCA schedule by school
• CogAT Testing by school

On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Secretary of Education announced that students impacted by school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic could bypass standardized statewide assessments for the 2019-20 school year.  Therefore, consistent with the federal guidelines and to protect students’ health and safety, Minnesota canceled its statewide assessments for last year (2019-20 school year). 

General preparation

• Students should take courses that address the Minnesota Academic Standards. Most schools also make appropriate educational opportunities available to students who are at risk for not succeeding on statewise assessments. 
• Share your enthusiasm and interest in reading, mathematics, adn science with your children. 
• Provide students with a study area at home. 
• Encourage students to practice good study habits. Students should set aside time every day for homework. 
• Make sure students have had the opportunity to become familiar with the format of the test. 
  • Item samplers help students become familiar with the format of the test and the types of questions that are on the test. 
  • Student tutorials for online tests provide information on using the online tools and describe navigation and item types. 
  • Go to the Item Samplers page on the Minnesota Department of Education website for information on accessing the item samplers and student tutorials. 
• Ensure students get a good night's sleep and eat a nutritious breakfast before taking a test. 
• Encourage students to answer all test questions.

Reading tests

• Read to students and encourage them to read to you. 
• Have students try crossword puzzles and other word puzzles. 
• Encourage students to read daily news stories and general interest magazine articles. 
• Discuss current events and stories you read.

Mathematics tests

• Encourage students to use mathematics every day. They can practice by creating a grocery budget, explaining charts and graphs from newspaper and magazine articles, dividing food portions, using rulers to measure objects, measuring a recipe, or adding prices on a shopping trip.
• Play games that involve numbers or computation. 
• Encourage students to connect what they are learning in mathematics class to their hobbies, other classes, and everyday life.

Science tests

• Use science articles from news publications to show that science is an ongoing, active process.
• Have students use inquiry skills by participating in science competitions, fairs, and other activities.
• Explore science outside the classroom – nature centers, zoos, and science museums.

Using a calculator

Talk to your child’s classroom teacher to find out how calculators are typically used in the classroom. Students cannot share calculators with other students during the Minnesota assessments or use any calculator manuals. Your child’s school has more information about when and how a calculator may be used for testing.

Additional test preparation suggestions for parents/guardians and teachers (print-friendly document).

This information will help parents/guardians make informed decisions that benefit their children, schools, and communities (print-friendly document).

Frequently asked auestions: Why statewide test results matter (print-friendly document).

Statewide tests are annual, summative measurements of student achievement that are used, along with many other school and classroom assessments, to evaluate student learning and skills. Specifically, the Minnesota statewide tests assess achievement of the Minnesota Academic Standards in mathematics, reading and science and language proficiency development for English learners. Some forms of assessment occur on a daily basis, others occur at the end of a unit of instruction, and others at the end of a semester or course. Schools use objective, standardized assessments to validly measure students’ learning against benchmarks of academic achievement. The Minnesota statewide tests function as one part of a comprehensive system for evaluating student learning.

Information from statewide tests is used in a number of ways. The State uses the aggregated test scores to report to the public and the U.S. Department of Education how Minnesota students are performing in school. Statewide test data help the State evaluate the progress schools are making in reducing achievement gaps among student groups. Schools and districts use the assessment results to measure their progress in improving student learning over time. Educators use individual scores to gauge students’ relative strengths and areas of need, and they use aggregated results to adjust curriculum and instruction. Parents use the scores in their decision-making process when choosing schools for their children. Parents, students, and educators may also use test results to determine whether or not students are on-track for success in future grade levels, college and careers. For these reasons, ensuring the integrity of statewide testing data is an important and shared responsibility

Test score validity has both a technical and a common sense meaning. A set of professional guidelines accepted by the testing profession defines validity as “the degree to which evidence…support[s] the interpretations of test scores for proposed uses of tests” (p. 11).1 In everyday terms, one might think of test score validity as answering the question, “Can I trust that this test score tells me what it claims to tell me?” Test scores are considered valid if it is possible to draw accurate conclusions about student achievement from them. For example, if students achieve a score on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) that indicates they “Meet the Standards,” it is reasonable to conclude that students have mastered sufficient content and skills in grade level reading, math or science to be adequately prepared for content in the next grade level or for postsecondary college or careers. The knowledge and skills they have mastered can be accurately described, and students, parents and educators can use the information to chart the next steps for academic progress. Valid test scores can help identify areas of relative strength and weakness for follow up by educators and parents.

To use test results in meaningful ways, a test score must represent the individual, unassisted achievement of each student. Cheating threatens test score validity. A short list of ways people cheat or engage in misconduct includes:

• Students receive help or answers from other students
• Students receive help or answers from educators or staff
• Students view or practice actual test items prior to the test
• Educators use actual test items for practice with students
• Educators change students’ answers or otherwise tamper with tests
• Educators fail to secure materials or configure testing environments to prevent cheating

There are consequences to reporting scores to students, families and schools that do not represent individual achievement. Some of the most important consequences include:

• Students are misled about their learning
• False results are reported to parents and others who use the test scores to make decisions
• Students may be placed into academic programs for which they are not prepared and may miss opportunities to receive needed interventions
• Achievement gaps may not be identified and school resources may be inappropriately allocated
• Inaccurate information is reported to the public about the quality of its schools
• Public confidence in an assessment program’s ability to accurately measure student achievement is eroded

Establishing and maintaining a culture of academic integrity within Minnesota schools is the key to preventing cheating. Definitions of academic integrity are often found in school or district codes of conduct or student handbooks and, although they may differ slightly, generally share a few key points:

• Academic integrity is honest and responsible scholarship.
• All academic work should result from an individual’s own efforts.

Just as schools and districts require academic integrity from students in their coursework, they should also expect students to act with integrity when taking statewide or other standardized assessments. Districts can support academic and test score integrity by:

• Communicating how assessment data are used and why test score validity is important.
• Making expectations for integrity explicit.
• Ensuring that students and staff know the consequences for misconduct.
• Applying consequences for misconduct consistently.
• Requiring students and staff to sign assurances that they will honor test security policies.

Although agreeing to a code of conduct may not deter the small number of people who are determined to cheat, it is an effective method for communicating to students and educators the expectations for behavior and conduct that support academic integrity. Policies and procedures for administering Minnesota’s statewide assessments are included in the Procedures Manual for the Minnesota Assessments, test administration manuals, and in trainings and tutorials. Districts and schools must ensure that students, educators and staff understand the requirements for test security. Security protocol violations can occur simply because people do not know or understand the policies and procedures. Educators can jeopardize test score integrity without intending to do so when their purpose may be to help or to take advantage of a “teachable moment.” However, telling a student to take another look at an incorrectly answered test item or providing any other clues to the correct answer is misconduct and requires that the student’s test score be invalidated and a report of the suspected misconduct be provided to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).

Allegations and evidence of educator misconduct must be reported to MDE, and MDE subsequently requires district administrators to determine the facts of the reported misconduct. If district administrators are implicated or if other circumstances so warrant, external investigators may be hired to conduct an independent investigation. Complaints of misconduct made to the Minnesota Board of Teaching or Board of School Administrators are referred to the Attorney General’s office for evaluation and investigation. Pursuant to Minnesota Statute 122A.20 Subd. 1(a), the Board of Teaching or Board of School Administrators, whichever has jurisdiction, may conduct an inquiry to determine whether disciplinary action against a license is warranted for confirmed reports involving educator misconduct. Educators found to have engaged in misconduct are subject to sanctions that may include censure and their license placed on probationary status, suspended or revoked. School districts that terminate the employment of an educator for a violation of the code of ethics are required to report the termination to the appropriate Board.

The usual course of action is to report the violation of test security policies to the School Assessment Coordinator or District Assessment Coordinator who will then submit a Test Security Notification to MDE for appropriate action. Reports of violations can be reported directly and anonymously to MDE by providing information via the Minnesota Statewide Test Security Tip Line. 

Research considered must align with the Anoka-Hennepin mission and vision, initiatives and priorities. It must benefit Anoka-Hennepin students, staff and community and require minimal staff and resource obligation. For acceptance, the research philosophy and methods in the study design must meet all Anoka-Hennepin practices and policies, including those pertaining to data privacy.

Research applications must be completed for all research activities in the district including staff doing research as part of degree fulfillment, staff volunteering for research projects, research being conducted by outside agencies such as universities, educational entities, or governmental agencies. Research includes providing or collecting data in any fashion (surveys, tests/assessments, interviews, observation, etc.) for the purpose of a study.

All research conducted in Anoka-Hennepin must be pre-approved via this process. 

Applicants must submit a written request and application form to the RET department, describing the project, including outlining the purpose, intent, timeline, methods and alignment with district initiatives, the benefit to Anoka-Hennepin student achievement, the expectation of staff and the workload entailed relating to the research project, the non-personnel resources requested if applicable, the data or information being requested and how it will be used. Also included should be the process and person(s) responsible for monitoring the project and how and to whom the outcomes and findings will be reported. The application form can be found below.

The application will be reviewed by a small committee consisting of at least an RET representative, an associate superintendent, and a representative from curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The application and approval process may take up to 4-6 weeks and must be completed prior to initiating the project. Questions and submissions can be directed to Angela Kurth at angela.kurthelbert@ahschools.us

If accepted, the applicant will be required to sign a confidentiality/non-disclosure agreement and submit results and findings upon completion of the study.  

Research Application and Checklist (print-friendly document).

Inclusive: Committed to involving both internal and external experts and stakeholders in the evaluation process

Flexible: Acquiring the ability to effectively evaluate a wide variety of programs and processes in varying contexts 

Sustainable: Dedicated to developing the capacity of the district to employ and use evaluative thinking as an intentional, uniform and cost effective way of operating

Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB): “Intentional work to continuously create and sustain overall organizational processes that make quality evaluation processes routine.” (Stockdill, Baizerman & Compton, 2002)

All evaluation activities in Anoka-Hennepin are designed to facilitate evaluative thinking in program participants and embed evaluative practice into work routines.  Evaluation does not mean more work; rather, it makes work more meaningful.

Participant-oriented approach to evaluation: Evaluation activities are designed to reflect the needs of program participants -- their experience, expertise and concerns.  Multiple perspectives garnered from multiple data sources are represented, described and, ultimately, reconciled. In a participant-oriented approach to evaluation, addressing stakeholder interests is the primary purpose of the evaluation.

Developmental evaluation: Evaluation activities do not occur in isolation, rather in concert with ongoing organizational changes driven by a commitment to continuous improvement and responsiveness to stakeholder needs. Information gathered through evaluation facilitates discussion and decision making relative to organizational development and change.

In addition, school districts are complex systems and therefore, require flexibility and fluidity in conducting evaluations, “being mindful about and monitoring what is emerging” (Patton, 2006).  Developmental evaluation incorporates “long-term, partnering relationships between evaluators and those engaged in innovative initiatives and [program] development.  Developmental evaluation includes asking evaluative questions and gathering information to provide feedback and support developmental decision making and course corrections along the emergent path” (Patton, 2006).

Appreciative inquiry: “Appreciative inquiry is an approach to seeking what is right in an organization in order to create a better future for it.” (Coghlan, Preskill, Catsambas)

The use of appreciative inquiry with many program participants facilitates the identification of pockets of excellence, revives enthusiasm and positivity in participants and moves away from the problem-solving paradigm while moving the organization toward its vision.

Anti-Bullying Survey description: The Anti-Bullying Survey is administered on an annual basis to a random sample of students in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. This survey is given in conjunction with Kindness Month as part of the ongoing district commitment to eliminate bullying and harassing behaviors, raise awareness of these issues, better equip staff to monitor and intervene, and help students to effectively deal with these unsolicited and unwanted occurrences.

Student Engagement Survey description: The objective of the Student Engagement Survey is to provide an opportunity for a sample of 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th grade students to provide feedback on their experiences in school. Students are asked questions relating to their perceptions of the culture and climate of their school, teaching and learning, and how they feel school is preparing them for the future.

Ninth Grade Transition Survey description: The objective of the Ninth Grade Transition Survey is to provide an opportunity for all ninth-grade students to evaluate school programming and provide feedback on their experiences entering high school.

Senior Exit Survey description: The objective of the Senior Exit Survey is to provide an opportunity for all seniors to evaluate school programming and provide feedback on their educational experiences in high school prior to their graduation.

Athletic Interest Survey description: The objective of the Athletic Interest Survey is to provide an opportunity for students in grades 10 and 11 to give input on the sports in which they participate, as well as suggest sports that they would like to see offered. This survey is in alignment with state legislation requiring districts to monitor students’ perceptions of athletic activities that are available to them through school enrollment.

Minnesota Student Survey description: The Minnesota Student Survey is a survey administered across Minnesota school districts in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Education, Employment and Economic Development, Health, Human Services and Public Safety. The MN Student survey includes more than 120 items pertaining to the attitudes and behaviors of our youth, as well as their perceptions of their school, family and neighborhood. This survey is administered every three years and helps to:

• Understand our children from their perspectives
• Determine the different challenges that confront our youth today
• Identify positive youth behaviors
• Assist administrators, educators, parents, and various constituencies in response to our children's needs
• Monitor the effectiveness of prevention efforts

Parent Review and Opt Out: Consistent with Minnesota law, as a parent you may request an opportunity to review a survey that is going to be administered to your student. In addition, you can elect to have your student opt out and not participate in a survey. If you wish to review a survey or opt your child out of completing a survey, you should contact your building principal to inform them of your request.

Our district values the perceptions of our stakeholders and, therefore, administer many different surveys to staff, students, parents/guardians, and community members to gather their insight. The information gained is used to determine the overall culture and climate of our schools and system, to inform decisions about what is working or what is not and to guide actions for continuous improvement in experiences for these stakeholders.

Surveys are also used to obtain information and feedback from our staff, parents/guardians and members of our community. The following shows additional surveys that are given and identifies the group being surveyed. See the most recent reports under the annual reports area of this page. 

• Employee Engagement / Site Culture and Climate: Administered to all Anoka-Hennepin staff
• Parent Attitude and Satisfaction: Administered to parents/guardians of student in grades K-12+
• Community survey: Random sample of residents within the Anoka-Hennepin School District boundary

Employee Engagement Survey description: This research-based survey was developed in the 2011-12 school year and administered for the first time in 2012-13. The anonymous survey is administered to all employee groups from all school levels and central departments annually. There are approximately thirty questions on the survey. The engagement questions measure four dimensions of engagement: basic needs, supervisor support, team, and growth. The survey is a monitoring tool for strategic planning, serves as one measure of organizational effectiveness, is incorporated into school/department improvement plans, and is used as an indicator on the district scorecard.

Site Culture and Climate description: This survey was developed in the 2018-19 school year and administered for the first time in early 2019. This anonymous survey is intended to gather Anoka-Hennepin staff members’ perception on four dimensions of culture and climate: work-related basic needs, supportive staff relationships, responsiveness and improvement, and student and family focus. There are twenty-two questions on the survey and it is intended to provide specific feedback on the culture and climate of each site.

• Anti-bullying Survey report
• Student Engagement Survey report
• Senior Exit Survey report
• Employee Engagement/Culture and Climate Survey report
• 9th Grade Survey report

• Anti-bullying Survey report
• Student Engagement Survey report
• Senior Exit Survey report
• 9th Grade Survey report
• Parent Attitude and Satisfaction Survey report
• Employee Engagement/Culture and Climate Survey report

• Anti-bullying Survey report
• Student Engagement Survey report
• Senior Exit Survey report
• 9th Grade Survey report
• Parent Attitude and Satisfaction Survey report.
• Employee Engagement/Culture and Climate Survey report

• Student Engagement Survey report
• Senior Exit Survey report
• 9th Grade Survey report
• Parent Attitude and Satisfaction Survey report

•  Anti-bullying Survey report
•  Student Engagement Survey report
•  Senior Exit Survey report
•  9th Grade Survey report
•  Parent Attitude and Satisfaction Survey report

• Anti-bullying Survey report
• Student Engagement Survey report
• Senior Exit Survey report
• 9th Grade Survey report
• Parent Attitude and Satisfaction Survey report

• Academic Achievement Report  
• Anti-bullying survey report
• Student Engagement Survey report
• Senior Exit Survey report
• 9th Grade Survey report 
• Parent Attitude and Satisfaction Survey report

• Academic Achievement Report
• Anti-bullying Survey report
• Student Engagement Survey report 
• Senior Exit Survey report 
• 9th Grade Survey report 
• Parent Attitude and Satisfaction Survey report
• 2016 MN Student Survey Report

• Academic Achievement Report
• Anti-Bullying Survey report 
• Student Engagement Survey report
• Senior Exit Survey report
• 9th Grade Survey report
• Parent Attitude and Satisfaction Survey report