Introduction to the Michigan Merit Examination (MME) and the Secondary Credit Assessment System (SCAS)

1
Introduction to the Michigan Merit Examination
(MME) and the Secondary Credit Assessment System
(SCAS)

• Michigan Department of Education Assessment
  Accountability Conference
• 2008

2
Session 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

3
What 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)

4
SCAS 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

5
SCAS 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)
7
Using the SCAS Assessments

• Testing services (i.e., printing of test booklets
  and answer documents, assessment administration
  services, scoring and reporting) are not provided

8
Using 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

9
Using 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

10
Recommended 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

11
Using 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

12
Next 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

13
More Next Steps for SCAS

• If provided by the legislature, added funding
  would permit MDE to begin developing more of the
  assessments over time

14
Proposed 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
15
What 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)

16
Legislative 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

17
MME 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

18
MME 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

19
MME 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.
20
MME 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.
21
MME 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.
22
Spring 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
23
Changes 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

24
Changes 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

25
Changes 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

26
Changes 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

27
Changes 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

28
Changes 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

29
Changes 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

30
How are the MME SCAS different?

• Timed versus Untimed
• Schedule
• Test Security
• Scoring Services
• Reporting
• Assessment accommodations
• Required versus available for use
• Assessment design

31
How 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

32
Comprehensive Balanced Assessment SystemAligned
to State Content Standards
Statewide Assessments MME/SCAS EOC (Summative)
Interim/Benchmark Assessments (Summative)
Classroom Assessments (Formative)
33
Contact 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

• Questions Answers

35
Introduction to the Michigan Merit Examination
(MME) and the Secondary Credit Assessment System
(SCAS)

• 2008
• Michigan Department of Education Assessment
  Accountability Conference