Lower Test Scores Not a Surprise

The Michigan Department of Education released statewide results of the first M-Step exams Tuesday, with the outcome being less then encouraging for students in grades 3-11.
Roughly half of the students tested scored high enough to be deemed “proficient” in English, and even less earning that distinction in math.
The results, however, are not unexpected according to State Superintendent Brian Whiston.
“With this all-new and more rigorous test, we expected statewide student scores to be lower than what we’d seen with the old MEAP tests,” Whiston said in a release. “While the overall scores on this new test are low, they aren’t as low as we first thought they could be.
The M-STEP was actually taken last spring and result are available now.
For more than four decades, the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) was the standard in the state, but this change is much-needed, Whiston said.
“In order to prepare our students for the careers of the 21st Century and to vault Michigan to become a Top Ten education state in 10 years, we need high standards and rigorous assessments,” he said. “This year’s results set the new baseline from which to build.”
Whiston said the M-STEP gives students a deeper understanding to what they are learning.
It requires students to move beyond bubble sheets and multiple choice questions to a more interactive, engaging assessment.
Students also must demonstrate critical thinking, problem solving, and deeper knowledge through written responses.
“Wherever we set the achievement bar, the students will jump over it,” Whiston said. “It’s about expectations. As a state, we need to raise the expectations.”
Scores for individual school districts will be released at a later date.