Overview
Goal: All Minnesota students graduate from high school and are prepared for postsecondary education.
Minnesota has long enjoyed a reputation for its high-quality public education, placing at or near the top in many nation-wide rankings and measures. But these encouraging statistics mask growing concerns of a widening achievement gap that is leaving many students unprepared for a successful future. Research is clear that a high-quality, rigorous, and relevant education is essential to prepare students for an increasingly competitive, complex and global economy, so they can become productive citizens.
NEW! 8th grade math scores replace 11th grade math scores as key measure.
To ensure Compass is providing the most relevant information to educators and others working to prepare Minnesota's students with the skills they need to succeed, Compass staff convened an Advisory Committee in fall, 2012. The committee recommended that 8th grade math proficiency replace 11th grade math proficiency as a key education measure. The committee thought it was important to catch students early enough to make sure they had the higher-level math skills now needed for postsecondary education. The committee also suggested the 9th grade attendance key measure could be dropped, but recommended adding a key measure for postsecondary completion, which will soon be available in the workforce section.
What's happening
We need to address education issues early in children’s lives and make sure academic progress continues through high school and beyond if we want our future workforce prepared for the challenges of a global economy. Currently:
- Seventy-seven percent of 3rd graders across the state read at grade level in 2011, but only 60 percent of those who transferred schools during the year did.
- Just 62% of Minnesota’s 8th graders achieved state standards for math in 2012; about 23% of 8th graders partially met math standards.
- Overall, about three-quarters of our state’s students graduated on time from high school in 2011; but only 55 percent of students of color. There has been little progress improving this rate during the past six years.
Making CRADLE-TO-CAREER connections
To complement major initiatives taking a broader, cradle-to-career approach to ensure success for all our children, the education measures can be viewed as part of a continuum, using these measures found throughout the site:
Early childhood screening (Early childhood)
Connections to caring adults (Children and Youth)
Enrichment activities (Children and Youth)
Postsecondary degree completion (coming soon -- Workforce)
Educational Attainment (Workforce)
Proportion of Adults Working (Workforce)
STEM ON COMPASS
Minnesota Compass and Boston Scientific are teaming up to develop a cohesive framework for monitoring and supporting Minnesota’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) cradle-to-career continuum.
RAISING EXPECTATIONS
Most experts agree, postsecondary education is becoming increasingly important. Individuals with more education are better able to compete for high-quality jobs and more likely to obtain jobs with better working conditions, benefits, and opportunities for advancement.
New in our Library
- What Does It Really Mean to Be College and Work Ready? The Mathematics and English Literacy Required of First Year Community College Students
- Eduployment: Creating Opportunity Policies for America's Youth
- More and Better Learning: Year One Report on ExpandED Schools
- Findings and recommendations of the rapid health impact assessment of school integration strategies in Minnesota
- Opportunities and challenges: The education of Latinos in Minnesota
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