Changes in store based on student/parent/administrator survey
Schools and students looking for relief from the testing fatigue that resulted from this year’s state assessment cycle got some welcome news.
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) on August 20 released information about changes in store to the state’s 2016 M-STEP and MME assessments. The modifications come as a result of feedback solicited by the MDE through surveys, focus groups, and key stakeholders on how to create an improved experience for students and educators.
More than 34,000 respondents took part in four separate surveys and expressed two primary concerns :
Modifications for 2016
As a result, the MDE has announced the following modifications to its assessment plans for 2016:
1. The MME in 11th grade will consist of:
2. For the M-STEP in grades 3–8, the Performance Task portion of the English language arts assessment will only be administered once in elementary school (grade 5) and once in middle school (grade 8). This reduces testing time by 2.5 hours in each of the 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th grades!
The M-STEP Mathematics assessments will continue to include a Performance Task in grades 3 through 8.
3. The MDE will improve the testing experience by providing the test in smaller portions that may be administered over multiple days, so that students will not be required to complete the test in one sitting (more details to come).
4. The Spring 2016 testing windows have been adjusted (see schedule). The testing schedule for the M-STEP and MI-Access assessments will not begin until after most spring breaks have ended and will conclude before Memorial Day. The window will span 7 weeks: April 11–May 27, 2016. These adjustments, along with moving the administration of SAT and ACT WorkKeys to April, will reduce the overall footprint testing has in schools, while still allowing flexibility to successfully administer online.
Find more details on the testing window in the August 20 Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability.
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) on August 20 released information about changes in store to the state’s 2016 M-STEP and MME assessments. The modifications come as a result of feedback solicited by the MDE through surveys, focus groups, and key stakeholders on how to create an improved experience for students and educators.
More than 34,000 respondents took part in four separate surveys and expressed two primary concerns :
- The assessment process overall took up too much instructional time in the spring.
- The overall student testing experience was too long, especially in English language arts.
Modifications for 2016
As a result, the MDE has announced the following modifications to its assessment plans for 2016:
1. The MME in 11th grade will consist of:
- the SAT with Essay
- ACT WorkKeys
- the online M-STEP Science and Social Studies.
2. For the M-STEP in grades 3–8, the Performance Task portion of the English language arts assessment will only be administered once in elementary school (grade 5) and once in middle school (grade 8). This reduces testing time by 2.5 hours in each of the 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th grades!
The M-STEP Mathematics assessments will continue to include a Performance Task in grades 3 through 8.
3. The MDE will improve the testing experience by providing the test in smaller portions that may be administered over multiple days, so that students will not be required to complete the test in one sitting (more details to come).
4. The Spring 2016 testing windows have been adjusted (see schedule). The testing schedule for the M-STEP and MI-Access assessments will not begin until after most spring breaks have ended and will conclude before Memorial Day. The window will span 7 weeks: April 11–May 27, 2016. These adjustments, along with moving the administration of SAT and ACT WorkKeys to April, will reduce the overall footprint testing has in schools, while still allowing flexibility to successfully administer online.
Find more details on the testing window in the August 20 Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability.