SW Minnesota Today

Cottonwood County saw 40.8% of their students pass the reading portion of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) in the 2023-24 school year, according to the ["Minnesota Department of Education", "Cottonwood County"].

Of the 1,010 students who took part in the MCA, 30.4% met the testing standard while 10.4% exceeded expectations and scored highest on the test.

The passing rate among Cottonwood County students grew by 0.7% from the previous school year.

The MCA and the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) are the state tests that help districts measure student progress toward Minnesota’s academic standards and also meet federal and state legislative requirements. The tests cover math, reading and science, depending on the grade that is being tested. Most students take the MCA, but students who receive special education services and meet eligibility requirements may take the MTAS instead.

Overall proficiency on Minnesota's MCA exams has declined compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to Minnesota's Report Card. Math proficiency, for example, dropped by more than 7% from 2019, while reading proficiency fell by almost 5%.

School name	Students who met standards (%)	Students who exceed standards (%)
Mountain Lake Elementary School	34.8%	7.6%
Mountain Lake Secondary School	29.3%	11.2%
SWWC Alternative Learning Center - Windom	7.7%	0%
Westbrook-Walnut Grove Secondary School	19.2%	12.8%
Windom Area Elementary School	29.6%	10.1%
Windom Middle School	31.2%	11.2%
Windom Senior High School	39%	14.3%