Minnesota's social studies and civics standards may be worst of all. At the high school level, students may receive no exposure whatever to crucial concepts of citizenship such as majority rule, federalism, and the evolution of the Constitution. All this should leave Minnesotans aghast. But there's more. The Profile's approach to assessment makes it impossible for parents and employers to tell whether the state's students are meeting even these paltry academic expectations.
Evaluation occurs entirely at the local level.
As a result, academic work judged adequate in Apple Valley might be rejected out of hand in Duluth. Oh well, some may sigh. If high school graduation in Minnesota is contingent on demonstrating such low-level skills, our state might fairly be said to have the lowest academic standards in the nation. Achieve and CBE recommend a massive overhaul of the Profile of Learning. They urge that standards in these areas be revised to add clarity, specificity, depth and rigor, and that statewide tests be phased in for each discipline.