St. Paul Reporter

Upper Mississippi Academy School District registered 36.5% of its students failing the science portion of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) and the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) test in the 2021-22 school year, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

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.

The number of Upper Mississippi Academy School District students who failed their science assessments rose by 13.8% from the previous school year.

Eighth grade students had the most room for improvement, with 41.5% not meeting the expected standards.

Upper Mississippi Academy School District roughly covers schools within Ramsey County and has a main office in Saint Paul.

Analysis from The Nation's Report Card showed math and reading scores have fallen significantly in the last decade. Science scores have been steady in recent years.

School Name	Failure Rate (%)
Upper Mississippi Middle Academy	41.5%
Upper Mississippi High Academy	30.3%