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| Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress | |
|---|---|
| Name | Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress |
| Acronym | M-STEP |
| Type | Standardized assessment |
| Administered by | Michigan Department of Education |
| Established | 2015 |
| Subjects | English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies |
| Language | English |
Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress
The Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress is a statewide assessment program administered by the Michigan Department of Education used to measure student achievement across grade levels. It functions within accountability frameworks tied to federal statutes such as the Every Student Succeeds Act and state policies enacted by the Michigan Legislature, and it interacts with districts including Detroit Public Schools Community District, Grand Rapids Public Schools, and Ann Arbor Public Schools. The assessment influences funding, curriculum decisions, and public reporting for schools like East Lansing High School, Grosse Pointe South High School, and systems including Kalamazoo Public Schools.
The assessment replaces earlier instruments and aligns with standards promulgated by bodies such as the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the Michigan Board of Education. It covers grades from elementary through high school and measures proficiency in domains associated with standardized frameworks used by entities like the National Assessment Governing Board and reports used by the U.S. Department of Education. Districts from Wayne County to Isabella County administer the test during windows approved by the Michigan Department of Education and providers such as Pearson plc in earlier transitions.
Development traces to policy shifts after the No Child Left Behind Act and later adjustments under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Pilot programs engaged education agencies including the Michigan Association of School Boards and researcher groups at institutions like University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Western Michigan University. Vendors and test consortia that influenced design discussions included representatives from Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and contractors with prior work for Florida Department of Education and Texas Education Agency. Legislative actions by the Michigan Legislature and gubernatorial directives from offices in Lansing, Michigan shaped adoption timelines.
M-STEP is organized by grade clusters and subject modules similar to frameworks used by the National Assessment of Educational Progress and aligned to standards influenced by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Content areas include English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies; items range from selected-response to extended-response tasks modeled on item types seen in assessments developed for Florida Standards Assessments and New York Regents Examinations. The design process involved psychometric input from specialists at centers such as the American Institutes for Research and academic labs affiliated with Michigan State University College of Education.
The administration window is scheduled by the Michigan Department of Education with accommodations guided by policies from Individuals with Disabilities Education Act implementation offices and coordination with Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for special needs. Scoring employs calibration procedures overseen by psychometric contractors used by state systems including the Ohio Department of Education and quality assurance modeled on practices from the National Center for Education Statistics. Student reports are provided to parents and guardians, with aggregated data published for counties such as Oakland County and Macomb County.
Results inform accountability matrices that affect districts like Flint Community School District and Muskegon Public Schools, and they feed into state report cards required under Every Student Succeeds Act. Data guide decisions in intermediate school districts such as Ingham ISD and are used by charter authorizers including Central Michigan University and Bay Mills Community College for oversight of charter operators. Aggregated performance metrics influence grant allocations from entities like the U.S. Department of Education and state-administered programs tied to the Michigan School Aid Fund.
Stakeholders including teachers’ unions such as the Michigan Education Association and parent groups in cities like Flint, Michigan have contested aspects of test design, administration burdens, and high-stakes implications. Debates echo controversies seen in discussions about the Common Core State Standards Initiative and statewide assessments in jurisdictions like California and Texas. Legal and policy disputes have involved forums including the Michigan Supreme Court and hearings before the Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate education committees.
Research on M-STEP effect draws from longitudinal studies conducted by researchers at University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute. Studies examine correlations with graduation rates at institutions like Detroit School of Arts and postsecondary enrollment at universities including Wayne State University and Grand Valley State University. Evaluations compare M-STEP outcomes with national benchmarks from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and with alternate assessments used in states such as Massachusetts and North Carolina.
Category:School examinations in the United States Category:Education in Michigan