Senate committee hears bill to replace high‑school MCAs with ACT or SAT

At a Minnesota Senate Education Committee hearing, members took testimony on Senate File 2067, a bill that would allow a nationally recognized college‑entrance exam such as the ACT or SAT to satisfy state and federal testing requirements now met by the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs).

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Swazinski, moved the A1 amendment and the committee approved the amendment by voice vote. The committee laid Senate File 2067 over for further consideration.

Why it matters: Witnesses told the committee that high‑school participation in MCAs has fallen sharply and that many students and families view the MCAs as irrelevant to postsecondary goals. Supporters argued a national college entrance exam would reduce testing time, improve student engagement and provide data that matters to both students and districts.

Supporters included school board members, district superintendents, the Minnesota PTA, representatives of ACT and College Board, and students. Laura Oksnavad, a school board member testifying for the…