The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments are statewide tests that measure student progress toward Minnesota’s academic standards and requirements of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act. 
Last week the Minnesota Department of Education released the results of reading, math and science tests taken in March, April and May.
Students took the science test if they were in fifth grade, eighth grade or just finishing biology in high school. Biology can be taken in grades 10, 11 or 12, but most students complete the course their junior year, after first studying chemistry or physics.
The percentage of ISD 831 students who scored proficient or better in each grade was 53 percent in grade eight, 64 percent in grade five and 73 percent in high school.
Compared to Minnesota as a whole, each Forest Lake group outperformed the state, and the difference increased at each level: in grade five, by 3 percentage points; in grade eight, by 8 percentage points; and in high school, by 20 percentage points.
For reading and math, Forest Lake scores were similar to state scores.
In reading, the percent of local students scoring proficient or better was below the state average in grades four and five and above in grades seven and eight. Students in grades three through eight and 10 are given MCA reading tests.
In math, grades six through eight were above the state average, but the gain disappeared in grade 11. MCA math tests are given to students in grades three through eight and 11.
Results for each grade are shown in the attached chart.