Minnesota students have long been considered some of the best in nation.

But that reputation isn’t enough, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

The state is raising its math standards by requiring all Minnesota juniors to pass the MCA-II GRAD exam to graduate. And starting with the class of 2015, all students must take algebra I by eighth grade and algebra II or its equivalent by 11th grade.

This is the first in a two-part series examining how area school districts plan to address these concerns.

The start of school was still a month away, but teachers in the Litchfield High School math department met in classroom in early August to discuss changes for the coming year.

The math teachers are like hundreds of others across the state. Facing tougher state math standards, schools are being forced to reexamine their curriculum and instruction methods to ensure all students will succeed into the future.

This spring, the Minnesota Department of Education will introduce the new MCA-II GRAD test, which Minnesota juniors must pass to graduate. The exam includes questions for both MCA-II reporting data and specific GRAD questions. Students pass the graduation requirement either by earning a proficient score on MCA-II or a passing score on the GRAD component.

Minnesota juniors began taking the MCA-II math test in 2006 and produced disappointing results. Only 30 percent of juniors met or exceeded state standards. The number has risen only slightly since, to 34 percent.

MDE’s answer to the low proficiency rate was to suggest student indifference since students have faced no consequence for their performance before this spring. School officials, however, think there could be another answer.

“It’s a difficult test,” Litchfield High School Principal Mike Goodrum said.

The MCA-II GRAD test encompasses all the Minnesota academic math standards taught through advanced algebra. It emphasizes understanding of numerical, algebraic and geometrical reasoning, according to test specifications.

While higher standards are admirable, not all juniors are on the algebra II track, educators say. Schools have just recently begun receiving test specifications, and most have not adapted their junior high and early high school curriculum to ensure all 11th-graders are prepared for algebra II. That leaves many scrambling now.

Read the complete story in the Aug. 28 Independent Review print edition.