Assessments are a way to gather information used for making educational decisions in school districts throughout Minnesota. Houston Public Schools staff utilize, FastBridge, as a valid and reliable assessment to help teachers identify students' academic needs in the areas of reading and math. School staff work to align the right interventions at the right time, and measure whether interventions are helping students meet their individual learning targets.
The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCAs) and the alternative assessment Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) are also administered in the springtime for students at Houston Public Schools. Students take statewide assessments to provide the district and the public with information about equitable opportunities for all students to engage with high-quality content in school
Each spring, Houston Elementary School students are tested in third through sixth grade in the subject area of Reading and Math. In 5th grade, the Science MCA is also administered in the Spring. These tests provide information about student learning of grade-level content. See HES Testing Calendar for more information.
Houston High School students in seventh, eighth, tenth, and eleventh grades are tested in the areas of Reading, Math, and Science. See HHS Testing Calendar for more information.
Downloadable Parent Fact Sheet and documents about the MCA and MTAS are posted below. These documents contain frequently asked questions and more information about these two tests and are also available on the Minnesota Department of Education website.
MN State Report Card- for testing results