MDE Update - Spring 2022

Minnesota Science Standards Updates on the Minnesota Science Standards and Implementation Timeline

The 2019 version of the Minnesota Science Standards have completed rulemaking, and MDE is currently working on finalizing the current draft of the Minnesota Science Standards on our website.

The updated timeline for full implementation of the Minnesota Science Standards is scheduled for the 2024-2025 school year. Students will take the newly developed MCA IV in 2024-2025.

MDE is also currently working on a revised Potential Transition Timeline for the 2019 Science Standards to provide guidance to districts, which will be released on our website later this Spring.

With the delay for full implementation of the new standards, districts and teachers must decide whether to revise previously developed timelines for transition. One factor impacting this decision is that the MCA exam will not transition to the new standards until spring of 2025. However, the new standards and the shifts in pedagogy associated with them are likely to result in improved science learning opportunities, and it would be wise to give students those opportunities as soon as is feasible. Districts have several factors to consider in their transition plans, including staffing, curriculum materials, and time for planning. Read John Olson’s article in the current MnSTA newsletter about the standards delay and planning for the transition!