The 2012 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment results for Osseo Area Schools showed increases over the previous year, mirroring the statewide trend.

The biggest gains for Osseo Area Schools were in math, with scores rising 4.5% over the previous year.  2012 math highlights include:

1. Math proficiency rates increased by more than 10% over 2011 in grades four and eight.
2. In grade eight, the district math proficiency rate exceeded the state.
3. Five elementary schools had math proficiency gains greater than 10% over the prior year:   Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts, Cedar Island, Fair Oaks, Garden City, and Palmer Lake.

Reading proficiency showed a more modest gain, climbing 1.5% over 2011. The 2012 increase extended Osseo’s string of consecutive gains to five years. Some high points in reading include:

1. Fair Oaks Elementary showed an outstanding proficiency gain of 11% over the prior year.
2. Grade 10 gained nearly 7%, with strong improvement at every high school. This is especially important because the Grade 10 reading test also serves as the state reading graduation test.
3. Grade 10 proficiency exceeded the state proficiency rate.

Detailed MCA results are available at www.education.state.mn.us.

The improvement in both district and individual school scores suggests that the state accountability reports due to be released at the end of August also are likely to show improvement.

The 2012 MCA results also confirmed persistent challenges. There continues to be an unacceptable achievement gap between white students and the student sub-groups tracked by the state. While Osseo’s pattern is very similar to the state, the gap remains a critical concern.  In addition, Osseo’s grade 11 math proficiency decreased 9%, identical to the state’s drop.

While the district is making significant progress in reducing the achievement gap, there is still much work to do. A key driver of this work will be the district’s updated strategic plan for 2012-2015, which includes strategies specifically aimed at increasing achievement for all students and making aggressive gains among sub-groups.

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