Minnesota children are returning to school after a summer of mixed education findings.
Within the past couple of months state education officials announced that:
n Public school students are not making great strides in math and reading achievement.
n Over 70 percent of high school students took a college entrance test and, overall, their scores increased.
n One of every three schools was tagged for failing to meet federal education standards.
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n More high school students are taking exams to test out of introductory level college courses, and their scores have increased.
With a new school year approaching, the latest - and most publicized - education news came when the state Education Department said more than one-third of 1,918 Minnesota schools did not make adequate academic progress (AYP) as required by the federal No Child Left Behind law.
A majority of schools did achieve required progress toward math and reading proficiency, but the number that did not jumped from 483 in 2005-06 to 729 last school year.
That data is highlighted in school report cards that are released each summer and considered a recommended source to learn about school districts.
Policymakers say that information by itself can skew the public's perception of how students are doing in Minnesota schools, which traditionally have been considered among the best in the nation.
"It doesn't add up, and I think that's very confusing for parents," said Rep. Paul Marquart, a Dilworth Democrat who teaches high school government classes. "You can't just go by a test. It just leads to a lot of false impressions."
Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said the AYP information is useful in gauging how certain students are doing in math and reading, but acknowledged the annual report is only an indicator of a school's academic success.
"There's lots of measures of progress and No Child Left Behind is one," said Seagren. She believes the growing number of schools not making necessary progress last year is in part due to a change in how the federal government collects test data from students requiring special education or who are learning English.
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It's important for parents to know how their local schools are doing in math and reading, said Rosie Loeffler-Kemp of Duluth, president of Minnesota PTA. But standardized tests do not take into account other important education areas, such as civics, arts and music. Parents ought "to look for more of a comprehensive view of schools," she said.
Besides test scores, a school's success also can be determined by how well its students do after graduation, in college and in the work force, said Marquart, who serves on a House education funding committee.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty called the latest test results "concerning" and said many factors contribute to students' academic performance, including parent involvement and teachers' skills.
"It doesn't necessarily mean they are bad schools, but it is a potential warning sign," the Republican governor said.
Since the AYP report offers valuable information, Loeffler-Kemp said her parent-teacher association was concerned whether the report would get proper review from the public when it was released shortly before the Labor Day weekend.
Beyond reviewing annual test results, Loeffler-Kemp said parents should be able to learn why certain schools are failing, what the state will do to help those schools and whether options such as additional teacher mentoring or alternative enrollment are available.
Schools across the state are working hard to improve academic results, but the effort would be easier with more education funding, she said.
The recent test results demonstrate why school reform and more academic accountability are important, said Pawlenty, who argued the Minnesota education debate often is just focused on getting more money to schools.
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"We also want to be asking, 'Are we getting better results for the money?'" Pawlenty said.
(Wente works for Forum Communications Co., which owns the Park Rapids Enterprise.)
