Graduation Standards—Bane or Blessing?

Graduation Standards—Bane or Blessing?

by Ramblin’ Rose

Some in Minnesota are celebrating for a second straight year the rise in number of high school graduates. Others contrast that news with the revelation that Minnesota, once the 'Education State,' has fallen again in the national rankings.

Josiah Padley, Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment, cited the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2026 findings. Our North Star State is no longer in the top 10; it fell from 7th to 21st from 2021 to 2026, specifically '#7 in 2021, #9 in 2022, #18 in 2023, #19 in 2024 and #17 in 2025.'"

How can so many more students 'earn' a high school diploma when their proficiency rates are plummeting.

Let hiSTORY tell the 'story.' In the early 1990s, "experts" eliminated the Carnegie Units (course credits) with the claim that they only reflected seat time. The graduation rates were lower, but the proficiency levels were higher. The experts (politicians and selected educators) created the Profiles of Learning (10 learning areas initially requiring students to pass 24 of 48 areas with detailed content standards) and the Basic Skills Tests (in reading, writing and math) in 1998. Following massive public debate, the Legislature repealed the standards-based, performance-assessed graduation requirements in 2003.

In their place, the Legislature created the Minnesota Academic Standards in five core areas. The Minnesota Department of Education uses the rule making process and accepts benchmarks by grade levels. The Governor appoints the committees to write the standards and benchmarks. Committees may accept or reject public input in the process. An administrative judge, not the Legislature, determines when the Standards are ready for acceptance and implementation by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Starting with the Class of 2010, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) replaced the Basic Skills Tests (BST). These exams measure student progress on the Academic Standards. While all schools (public and charter) must administer the tests, and students must pass them and must complete a required number of credits, no student is required to achieve a certain proficiency level in order to graduate.

Catrin Wigfall, Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment, summarized well the dilemma facing Minnesota’s high school graduates, and by extension, the contributions they will make to us all as they enter the work force.

"While increasing high school graduation rates is a positive goal, it is equally important that a diploma reflects genuine academic readiness and that its value is not compromised in the pursuit of these higher numbers. A false sense of achievement not only undermines the credibility of the high school credential but also places unfair burdens on students who believe they are prepared only to find out too late that they aren’t, putting at risk their future success in college, the workforce or daily life."

Bane or Blessing? Graduation rates or academic preparedness (proficiency)?

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