Seeing Opportunity with the Minnesota Student Survey - Expanding relevance and use among educators, families, and students

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Connor

Report explaining how the Minnesota Student Survey (MSS) can strengthen equitable, student-centered learning by expanding its relevance and use for educators, families, and students. It builds on a prior Education Evolving framework and advances concrete recommendations for incorporating MSS into a statewide student-centered measurement strategy. It highlights survey value through holistic outcomes, learning experiences, and youth behavioral and health information, supported by input from educators and researchers and a multi-state review of survey practices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Power and Potential in Surveys

Purpose and Scope of This Report

Background

The Minnesota Student Survey (MSS) Today

Purposes of Surveys—In Minnesota and Beyond

Findings from Other States

Youth Surveys Across All 50 States

Diving Deeper on Six Relevant States

A Vast (and Creative) Variety of Funding Approaches

Conclusions for Minnesota

Use

Content

Administration

Recommendations

We Must Imagine a Blank Slate

Seeing Opportunity with the Minnesota Student Survey Expanding relevance and use among educators, families, and students driving equitable, student-centered learning About this report This paper builds on a prior Education Evolving report, Defining and Measuring Student-Centered Outcomes ([www.educationevolving.org/](www.educationevolving.org/)[ ](www.educationevolving.org/)[outcomes](outcomes)), which lays out a foundational argument and framework. This paper goes a step further, with concrete recommendations for the Minnesota Student Survey as one key component in a statewide student-centered measurement strategy. WITH DEEP GRATITUDE We are immensely thankful to the 50+ teachers, administrators, students, social workers, county and state agency staff, and researchers we spoke to for this paper. We do not list them by name because we spoke with them on conditions of anonymity, but each contributed immensely to the final product. Thank you! ABOUT THE AUTHORS The research team for this report included Lars Esdal (of Education Evolving), Addie Welch, Sara Kemper (with Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement or CAREI at the University of Minnesota), and Laura Potter (also with CAREI) . While Lars is the primary author—and assumes full responsibility for the words and recommendations within—the ideas are a joint product of the team. ABOUT EDUCATION EVOLVING We are a Minnesota-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on advancing equitable, student-centered learning—that is learning that honors each student’s unique assets, interests, identities, and aspirations. To that end, we support teachers designing and leading schools, and policies that catalyze community-led innovation. [Learn more at](Learn more at www.educationevolving.org)[ www.educationevolving.org](Learn more at www.educationevolving.org) Contents Introduction 4 The Power and Potential in Surveys 4 Purpose and Scope of This Report 5 Background 6 The Minnesota Student Survey (MSS) Today 6 Purposes of Surveys—In Minnesota and Beyond 7 Findings from Other States 9 Youth Surveys Across All 50 States 9 Diving Deeper on Six Relevant States 12 A Vast (and Creative) Variety of Funding Approaches 15 Conclusions for Minnesota 16 Use 16 Content 18 Administration 19 Recommendations 20 We Must Imagine a Blank Slate 24 3 Introduction The Power and Potential in Surveys As goes the old adage, what gets measured gets done.1 To get the equitable, student-centered2 education system we want and need—one which honors each unique student, and prepares them for the changing 21st century world—we need more holistic, nuanced measures of learning. 1. This is the opening line of our prior paper on this topic, which lays a broader conceptual groundwork: Esdal, Lars.“Defining and Measuring Student-Centered Outcomes.” Saint Paul, MN: Education Evolving, October 2018. View online at: [www.educationevolving.org/outcomes](www.educationevolving.org/outcomes) 2. We define student-centered learning as learning that honors the unique assets, interests, identities, and aspirations of each young person. Read more about our seven principles of student centered learning and the research that supports them, at: [www.educationevolving.org/learning](www.educationevolving.org/learning) 4 Surveys are one tool for this. They capture important outcomes that matter to students, families, and society,3 but aren’t covered by conventional assessments and data—for example, commitment to learning, resilience, and social competencies such as collaboration and respect. Surveys also gauge student experiencesand learning environments, which are both inherently important and also“leading indicators” for learning.4 For example, are students engaged? Do they have strong relationships with adults? Do they feel safe and respected? Finally, surveys capture important broader youth behavioral and health information, for example

FAQs

What is the goal of this report regarding the Minnesota Student Survey (MSS)?

To define what purpose the MSS does—or should—serve in Minnesota and to propose recommendations for how it may evolve to better support a statewide student-centered measurement strategy.

How does the report justify using surveys for student-centered outcomes?

Surveys capture outcomes not covered by conventional assessments, including learning commitment, resilience, social competencies, student experiences, and leading indicators for learning such as engagement and relationships.

What evidence does the report use to inform its recommendations?

It draws on input from more than 50 educators, students, county and state agency staff, and researchers in Minnesota, and complements this with a 50-state database plus deeper research and interviews in six other states.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Connor