Michigan educators: Have you heard about the new Michigan statewide assessment announced in November? The Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, or M-STEP, is a replacement for the 40-year old MEAP test and will begin statewide in spring 2015. The test administration is moving from fall to spring to allow students to be measured upon current-year learning, rather than the prior-year learning measured by the MEAP.
For 2015, testing will occur in grades 3-8 and 11. ELA and mathematics assessments will occur in grades 3-8, just as in prior years. Science, however, will now be assessed in grades 4 and 7, and social studies assessments will now occur in grades 5 and 8. Students in grade 11 will participate in the Michigan Merit Examination (MME), which consists of ACT Plus Writing, WorkKeys and the M-STEP summative assessment for ELA, mathematics, science and social studies. It is possible that the M-STEP will be expanded for the 2015-16 school year to include students in grades 9 and 10, as well as appropriate K-12 interim assessments.
You can read more about the M-STEP, and take a look at the assessment transition plan and the 2015 testing schedule on the Michigan Department of Education’s website here.