M-STEP results are in, and white and Asian American students scored markedly higher than other students of color, something Michigan State University Education Researcher Joshua Cowen says is happened across the country. And while there will be a state-produced exam, schools are free to choose their own test. “And the state standards basically tell what students should know and be able to do by subject and grade level to be college and career ready when they graduate from high school”. When compared to 2015 statewide results, this year’s increased or advanced M-STEP scores occurred in: grades five, six and eight in English Language Arts (ELA); grades four-five, seven-eight in mathematics; and grades four and seven in science.
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“Math scores were not as well as we had hoped, but we knew that was an issue, and the district even before I arrived, was investing in curriculum and were investing in teachers working on problem solving and understanding versus memorization so we kind of know the work we have to do there”, said Superintendent Jim Walter.
The state fixed some of the wrinkles in the M-STEP from last year, and this year’s test came off without a hitch.
Clare Schools saw M-STEP results ahead of the state average in English and science but still aren’t there with math. She says the M-STEP is their only yardstick for measuring how well schools and students are doing. The results show that commitment.
“What we’ve seen with our Read to Succeed program for many many years is that these children can learn, it doesn’t matter what their racial background is”, Bader said.
The M-STEP results were dismal for students in the state’s largest city, where so few students – in the Detroit Public Schools Community District and the Educational Achievement Authority – passed the exam in some grades and subjects that they fell below the 5% threshold the state uses for reporting scores. Students have to score in one of the top two categories to pass the M-STEP.
SAT college entrance exam scores were also released.
“With our rigorous content standards and rigorous assessments, we raised the bar on what MI students are expected to know and be able to do”. The SAT was administered to 11th-graders for the first time after MI switched from the ACT. The 2016 SAT is the baseline for future SAT exams in MI.
Last year, the test included a performance task in math and English language arts, which required students to complete an in-depth project during the course of the exam that demonstrates their analytical and problem-solving skills.
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According to the Board of Education next year’s M-STEP will follow the same standards, but it is considering changes for future years.
