Title: Introduction to the Michigan Merit Examination (MME) and the Secondary Credit Assessment System (SCAS)
1Introduction to the Michigan Merit Examination
(MME) and the Secondary Credit Assessment System
(SCAS)
- Michigan Department of Education Assessment
Accountability Conference - 2008
2Session Discussion Topics
- What is the Secondary Credit Assessment System
(SCAS)? - What is the Michigan Merit Exam (MME)?
- What purposes do they serve?
- How are they different?
- How are they alike?
- How do they function within a balanced assessment
system? - Q A
3What is the Secondary Credit Assessment System
(SCAS)?
- Public Acts 123 and 124 required the Michigan
Department of Education to develop - Course/credit content expectations in the
required course/credit areas - Guidelines in other course/credit areas, and
- End-of-course examinations in at least the
required course/credit areas (later removed by
amendment)
4SCAS Assessments
- MDE has currently developed end-of-course exams
for English 9, Algebra I, Geometry, and Biology - Items used in these exams written by Michigan
educators summer 2007 and were pilot-tested in
Michigan classrooms in Jan 08 - They can be used as a standards-based
end-of-course assessment
5SCAS Assessments
- Available through the OEAA Secure Website
- http//www.michigan.gov/oeaa-secure
- Need User ID and Password
- Under announcements select SCAS
- Assessments, scoring keys, scoring guides, and
rubrics.
6(No Transcript)
7Using the SCAS Assessments
- Testing services (i.e., printing of test booklets
and answer documents, assessment administration
services, scoring and reporting) are not provided
8Using the SCAS Assessments
- Districts are encouraged to print, administer and
score the exams to assess students who have taken
these course/credit areas and/or to help gauge
the extent to which current course content is
aligned with the HSCE for these courses
9Using the SCAS Assessments
- Items are considered secure and may not be used
for classroom activities - The assessments should remain intact but may be
augmented with additional items - Items are to remain secure but may be used with
content area teachers for professional
development purposes
10Recommended Passing Score for SCAS
- If district selects or develops a local
assessment, the district is responsible for
establishing the passing score - If the state assessment is used, the state
determines the passing score. The department
determined that 70 correct be used
11Using the SCAS Assessment
- District has the authority to establish policy to
determine how a student may earn credit on a
course s/he has taken - If the state assessment is used as the final exam
for a student taking a course (as apposed to
testing out without having taken the class),
the score on the end-of-course exam should not
count for more than 20 25 of the students
final grade in the class
12Next Steps for SCAS
- As of this time, MDE has no dedicated funding for
developing a Secondary Credit Assessment System,
with full printing, distributing, scoring and
reporting - On the other hand, OEAA is using the resources it
has for the state assessment program to develop
additional assessments for schools to use with
Michigan Merit Curriculum standards
13More Next Steps for SCAS
- If provided by the legislature, added funding
would permit MDE to begin developing more of the
assessments over time
14Proposed SCAS Development Schedule
Year English Math Science Social Studies
2007-08 English 9 Algebra I Geometry Biology
2008-09 English 10 Chemistry US History plus Geography
2009-10 English 11 Algebra II Statistics Probability Physics World History plus Geography
2010-11 English 12 Pre-Calculus Earth Science Civics Economics
Updated Feb 2008
15What is the Michigan Merit Exam (MME)?
- Statewide assessment for all eleventh-grade (and
eligible grade 12) students - Measures what a student knows based on high
school content standards for English language
arts, mathematics, science, and social studies - State assessment for AYP/Ed Yes! Accountability
systems - Qualifying assessment for Michigan Promise
Scholarship (Department of Treasury)
16Legislative Requirements
- College entrance requirement
- Work skills examination
- Reading
- Mathematics
- Locating Information (proposed career readiness
certificate) - Social studies assessment
- Under 8 hours of testing time
- Fulfill requirements of NCLB, meaning
- Received NCLB peer review approval
- Adequate alignment to all required content
standards as determined by an independent review
panel - Augmentation
- Science, mathematics, social studies
17MME Components
- Administered each spring using a prescribed
schedule, the MME consists of three components - ACT Plus Writing college entrance examination
- WorkKeys job skills assessments in reading for
information, applied mathematics, and locating
information - Michigan-developed assessments in mathematics,
science, and social studies
18MME 2009 Spring Assessment Schedule
- Initial administration dates
- March 10 12, 2009
- Make-up administration dates
- March 24 26, 2009
- The window for students testing with
accommodations begins on the initial test date
and ends on the make-up date for each test day
19MME Spring 2009 Assessment Organization
Day Assessment Subject Total Items Testing Time (minutes)
Day 1 ACT Plus Writing English Mathematics Reading Science Writing 75 MC Items 60 MC Items 40 MC Items 40 MC Items 1 Prompt 45 60 35 35 30
Day 1 Testing Time 205 minutes (3 hours/25
minutes)
More detailed information about this schedule
and makeup testing given exactly two weeks later
is available on the MME website.
20MME Spring 2009 Assessment Organization
Day Assessment Subject Total Items Testing Time (minutes)
Day 2 WorkKeys Reading for Information Applied Mathematics Locating Information 33 MC Items 33 MC Items 38 MC Items 45 45 45
Day 2 Testing Time 135 minutes (2 hours/15
minutes)
More detailed information about this schedule
and makeup testing given exactly two weeks later
is available on the MME website.
21MME Spring 2009 Assessment Organization
Day Assessment Subject Total Items Testing Time (minutes)
Day 3 Michigan Mathematics Science Social Studies 34 MC Items 49 MC Items 42 MC Items 40 40 40
Day 3 Testing Time 120 minutes (2 hours)
More detailed information about this schedule
and makeup testing given exactly two weeks later
is available on the MME website.
22Spring 2009 MME Contributing Components
Day Test ELA Reading Writing Math Science Social Studies
1 ACT Reading ACT English ACT Writing CR ACT Mathematics ACT Science X Select X X Select X Select Select
2 WorkKeys Reading WorkKeys Mathematics WorkKeys Locating Information X X Select Select Select
3 MI Mathematics MI Science MI Social Studies MC X X X
Does not indicate order of ACT test
administration
23Changes to Spring 2009 MME
- Test design
- Total testing 7 hours/40 minutes
- Eliminated CR on MI social studies
- Added WorkKeys Locating Information
- Day 3 MI assessments mathematics, science, and
social studies all MC - Select items from ACT and WorkKeys for a more
balanced MME assessment
24Changes to Spring 2009 MME
- Legislation passed House Senate BUT still in
conference - MME shall contain all components necessary to
make students eligible for a nationally
recognized evaluation of workforce readiness
(Career Readiness Certificate) - The ACT portion of the MME shall require an
extended writing sample - No additional extended writing sample shall be
required
25Changes to Spring 2009 MME
- Legislation continued..
- Each student will take the complete MME once and
only once to qualify for Michigan Promise
Scholarship - Retakes will be on the ACT only
26Changes to Spring 2009 MME
- Legislation, continued.
- Who will take the complete MME?
- All 11th graders who do not take MI-Access
- All 12th graders who
- Did not take the MME in grade 11, OR
- Did not receive a valid score in grade 11 on
mathematics, science, reading, writing, OR social
studies
27Changes to Spring 2009 MME
- Legislation, continued
- Retakes on the ACT only
- If a student took the complete MME, AND
- Received valid scores in all subjects in grade
11, AND - Did not qualify for installment payments of the
Michigan Promise Scholarship, THEN - Can retake the ACT to qualify for the Michigan
Promise Scholarship installment payments -
28Changes to Spring 2009 MME
- Legislation, continued.
- Who pays for ACT retakes?
- Student
- State pays only if ALL the following criteria
apply - Is eligible for free/reduced lunch
- Did not qualify for installment payments of
Michigan Promise Scholarship - Is not eligible for a fee waiver from ACT
- Has not previously had an ACT retake fee paid by
the state
29Changes to Spring 2009 MME
- And finally, Legislation, continued
- Setting cut scores on the ACT for installment
payment on the Michigan Promise Scholarship is
the responsibility of the State Superintendent -
30How are the MME SCAS different?
- Timed versus Untimed
- Schedule
- Test Security
- Scoring Services
- Reporting
- Assessment accommodations
- Required versus available for use
- Assessment design
31How are these assessments alike?
- Based on the high school content expectations
- Multiple choice and constructed response
assessment design - Function as a part of a balanced assessment system
32Comprehensive Balanced Assessment SystemAligned
to State Content Standards
Statewide Assessments MME/SCAS EOC (Summative)
Interim/Benchmark Assessments (Summative)
Classroom Assessments (Formative)
33Contact Information
- SCAS Assessments
- Dr. Bill Brown, Coordinator of Test Development
- brownb6_at_michigan.gov
- 517-335-0568
- Kimberly Young,
- Consultant
- youngk1_at_michigan.gov
- 517-373-0988
- MME Assessment
- Mr. Jim Griffiths,
- Manager of Test Administration
- griffithsj_at_michigan.gov
- 517-373-4332
- Pat King,
- MME Specialist
- kingp_at_michigan.gov
- 517-335-6780
-
Primary contact for assessment
34 35Introduction to the Michigan Merit Examination
(MME) and the Secondary Credit Assessment System
(SCAS)
- 2008
- Michigan Department of Education Assessment
Accountability Conference