A study of the impact educational setting has on academic proficiency of American Indian students as measured by the Minnesota comprehensive assessment

Abstract

The Minnesota Department of Education has collected Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) results on every American Indian student who has taken the tests. This information has been made available so communities and parents can assess how their districts, schools, and students are performing based upon MCA proficiency criteria. Prior to this study, there had been no known studies on the impact of educational setting (Urban-Minneapolis/St. Paul, Metro-seven-county Metro area, Out State-greater Minnesota, and Bureau of Indian Education [BIE] schools) on mathematic and/or reading proficiency as measured by the MCAs for American Indian students in the state of Minnesota. The research population for this study included all American Indian students in the state of Minnesota, grades 3-11, who participated in MCAs between 2007-2010. This study incorporated multiple variables, which used empirical data from four educational settings (Urban, Metro, Out State, and BIE) and two academic subjects (mathematics and reading). The analysis used three regression models (linear, non-linear, and logistic), which provided statistical information regarding the relationship between educational setting and proficiency as measured by the MCAs. The results of this research supported the theory that educational setting does have an impact on MCA proficiency for the American Indian student in the state of Minnesota between 2007-2010.