Lift Literacy

 

The purpose of this bill is to significantly improve literacy across Minnesota by implementing Improvement Tests to

track student progress throughout the school year. These tests will focus on skills learned, enabling individualized

support for each student. This system will replace traditional, one-time standardized tests, such as the STAR Test,

which can be inaccurate due to various external factors affecting performance on a single test day.

The Improvement Test is designed to be dynamic: if a student answers a question incorrectly, the test will adjust to a

lower grade level, helping pinpoint the student's exact areas of struggle. If the student answers a question correctly,

the test will adjust upward to challenge the student accordingly. This personalized approach will better track actual

learning progress.

This bill also proposes the introduction of a mandatory writing class as part of the 120B.021 Required Standards for all

students, from kindergarten through 10th grade, to ensure preparation for the improvement tests.

Tests will be administered six times per year: at the beginning, middle, and end of each quarter, covering state

grade-level standards. The test system in use will be MAP, a tool that aligns state standards and provides consistent

measurement across Minnesota schools.

This bill aims to ensure no student exits the education system without the literacy skills they need to succeed. By

providing continuous improvement and targeted support, this initiative aims to increase graduation rates, boost

workforce readiness, and foster a culture of academic excellence in Minnesota. This bill aims to ensure no student exits

the education system without the literacy skills they need to succeed. By providing continuous improvement and targeted

support, this initiative aims to increase graduation rates, boost workforce readiness, and foster a culture of academic

excellence in Minnesota.

The purpose of this bill is to improve literacy in Minnesota. It will require schools to give an improvement test/check.

These tests will cover the topics taught. If a student does not improve over the course of the year, they will be

required to retake the class. The improvement test will help ensure all students are being helped at the level they are

at, instead of at a general level. This will eliminate the need for standardized tests like the “STAR Test” that judge a

person once or twice a year on a day that could be bad. That one bad day could affect the way an individual tests. If

people take Improvement tests, they will be able to see an actual Improvement, and if the individual is not seeing an

actual Improvement, teachers can help find the exact topic they are struggling with, neutralizing the problem instead of

generalizing the problem.

This law will also add a writing class to 120B.021 REQUIRED STANDARDS to help prepare students for the improvement

tests/ check.

The test itself will give an individual a question, and if an individual gets the question wrong, it goes down a grade

level standard. If you get a question right, it will go up a grade level. Finding an individual's strengths and

weaknesses placing them in the proper place for improvement.

The tests will be administered as early as kindergarten and will continue until 10th grade. 6 times a year, beginning,

middle, and end of each quarter, consisting of the state grade level requirements for each grade. {Pages 7-107}

Minnesota English Language Arts Standards – Final

The test being used across the state will be “MAP,” so the state standards will be reflected the same way across the

schools. Every year, AR students will be evaluated and placed into reading and writing classes that fit their academic

needs.

The purpose of this bill is to grant each student a chance to improve where they had once failed. Prevent a child from

exiting school without the basic knowledge they should have already been provided.

This bill will give more opportunities for students to get help with things that they are struggling with. Improving our

test scores, improving our confidence in the school system, improving

Opportunities through the school to improve reading and a love for reading. An example is: giving little kids an

opportunity to be helped by older kids, “Reading Buddies,” where they can practice reading to one another.

 

 

50.3% of Minnesota students are currently not meeting grade-level literacy standards, which significantly hampers their

overall academic success and long-term prospects. Many students who are struggling with literacy are promoted to the

next grade level without receiving adequate support, leading to cumulative learning gaps. This bill will address this

issue by providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate measurable progress and receive personalized assistance

to master the skills they need.

By introducing these improvement tests and focusing on personalized instruction, we aim to:

Increase literacy rates and academic achievement across the state.

Reduce disparities by identifying students' strengths and weaknesses and tailoring instruction to their needs.

Enhance overall graduation rates, reducing the number of students who leave school without basic literacy skills.

Strengthen the Minnesota workforce, as higher literacy correlates with better job prospects and overall economic

success.

 

 

Literacy: The ability to read and write proficiently.

Standardized tests: a test where all the questions are worded the same way for each student.

Improvement test/check: a test in which all of the questions are molded to help you understand and gauge what you do and

do not understand. This test also helps place where you are and where you are not in your understanding of a topic.

Multiple tests at the beginning, middle, and end of a semester, each semester.

IEP: Individual Education Plan/ Program

Proficiency: An understanding of a given concept

IT: Information technology

MAP: a test that gives a series of questions based on the standards and helps place you into one of 3 categories. These

categories are: meets expectations, does not meet expectations, and exceeds expectations.

 

 

Teacher Training

Estimated cost: 2250000$

Depending on where the training is being held.

Technology/ test itself

Creating online literacy portals and apps for students and families to access learning resources.

Estimated cost: 9220000$ annually

Evaluation & Accountability

Setting aside funds for data collection and program evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the literacy programs

statewide. Built into the MAP testing program

 

 

The people who will be administering and evaluating the results of the test will be the school board, reading, language

arts, and writing teachers.

The school board will set aside days, attendance is mandatory, and the test will be taken by all students, no matter

where the student is. If a student is absent, they will be expected to take the test as soon as they can. The law will

add another core class. This new core class will be a writing class and mandatory to take as soon as you reach

kindergarten.

If a student shows no improvement and is struggling with where they are currently at, they are kept at the same level

and will be given another chance to learn the information. This process is repeated until they have shown they

understand the skills. Once they have, they can be moved up a grade level.

Parents of students on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) may opt out of these placement/improvement tests.

To ensure compliance and success:

Mandatory testing: The school board will schedule testing days, and all students must attend. If a student is absent,

they must take the test at the earliest opportunity.

Core class addition: A mandatory writing class will be added to the curriculum starting in kindergarten. Students will

need to pass the improvement tests to progress to the next grade level.

Progress checks: Students who do not show improvement will remain at the same level and receive additional support until

they demonstrate proficiency.

IEP opt-out: Parents of students on an IEP may choose to opt out of the improvement tests for their child.

 

 

The effectiveness of this bill will be as soon as the new school year begins.