Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) Fall 2005 Test Design

1. Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) Fall 2005 Test Design English Language Arts Grades 3-8, High School Updated March 2005

2. Basis for English Language Arts (ELA) Test Grades 3 through 8 • Fall 2005 tests for grades 3-8 are based upon the overlap between the Content Standards and the new “second tier” of the Content Standards: Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE) specific to grades K-8. • Assessing only core – no extended or future core • Some entire domains not state-assessable (e.g., metacognition, attitudes, speaking, viewing) • Portions of some domains and GLCE not state-assessable (e.g., peer and teacher/student discussion or interaction, teacher-directed topics for writing) • No standard number of items per GLCE; items will be distributed across assessable domains

3. Fall 2005 ELA – Grades 3-8 Administration Changes • Parts can be given in any sequence. • No resources (dictionaries, thesauri, grammar books, spelling books) used on any portions of 3-8 tests • Some pilot items embedded in every test form • No additional sheets for any constructed or written responses • Setting reasonable suggested time limits

4. Fall 2005 ELA Format: Reading Grades 3-8 • 3 texts per test form, grade 3 • 4 texts per test form, grades 4-8 • Includes at least 1 narrative/1 informational text per form • Vary text length • Poetry included • Continue to assess themes w/in texts + across 1 pairing • Continue with response to paired texts (2 pg. max.) • Continue to assess vocabulary items in context

5. Fall 2005 ELA Format: Grade 3-8 Reading Item/Point Distribution Across Domains Grade 3 – 35 total points for the operational test • 3 m.c. pts. = Word Study/Word Recognition • 26 m.c. items = Narr. Text + Info. Text + Comprehension and Critical Standards • 6 c.r. pts. = Comprehension + Critical Standards (Response to Reading Selections) Grades 4-8 – 43 total points for the operational test • 3 m.c. items = Word Study/Word Recognition • 34 m.c. items = Narr. Text + Info. Text + Comprehension + Critical Standards • 6 c.r. pts. = Comprehension + Critical Standards (Response to Reading Selections)

6. Fall 2005 ELA Format: Writing Grades 3-8 Continue with Writing from Knowledge and Experience • 12 possible points (6-pt. rubric) • Continue to allow students to choose genre, format of response • Shorten to two pages max. (one page front to back) • No longer tied to reading - allows for flexible test administration • Strengthened writing scores by: • Adding second, shorter response (one page max.) to peer’s writing at grades 3-8 = 8 possible points (4-pt. rubric) • Adding multiple-choice (m.c.) editing and revising items in response to peer sample, plus possible independent items = 5 possible m.c. pts.

7. Fall 2005 ELA Format: Grades 3-8 Writing Item/Point Distribution Across Domains • Entire writing test: 20 c.r. points + 5 m.c. = 25 total points • Included in c.r. and m.c. items • Genres • Process • Personal Style • Grammar and Usage • Spelling Handwriting (not directly assessed)

8. Fall 2005 ELA Format: Listening • Optional in grades previously tested (4, 7, 11) until current bank of selections and items exhausted • No new listening selections developed • No listening in development for new grades

9. Fall 2005 ELA Format: Grades 3-8Adaptations to fall testing • All fall tests to assess material taught up to and including the previous grade (i.e., 8th grade test will assess K-7 GLCE material) • Many texts previously approved by committees for mid-year moved up a grade • Third grade: • Cut number of multiple-choice foils to three, rather than four • Third graders to take test in booklet

10. Fall 2005: Status of High School Test (HST) in ELA • Basis for HST in ELA will continue to be Content Standards and benchmarks w/in Michigan Curriculum Framework (1995) until the Michigan Merit Exam (MME) is designed and implemented. • Reading, writing, listening (optional) remain same formats as tests administered since 2003 • No pilot items embedded • Resources (dictionaries, grammar books, spelling books) may continue to be used on writing portions.

11. What’s New for High School? Fall 2005 ELA Test Design • Writing, reading, and optional listening no longer to be connected to same theme • Test parts may be given in any sequence. • As required by recent state legislation, MME to be phased in over three years. • Spring 2007 – expected to be last administration of MEAP to 12th graders and first full implementation of MME for all 11th graders (check MEAP website for updates)

12. Michigan Merit Exam (MME) • 2005-2006: • Contractor selected through competitive bidding process • Assessment designs and items developed • Spring pilot w/several thousand 11th grade students to equate MEAP to MME test

13. Michigan Merit Exam (MME) • MME will include: • College readiness exam for 10th grade dual enrollment • Scheduled locally at cost of district or parents • College entrance exam (e.g., SAT or ACT) – same standardized exam as taken nationwide • State covers cost of two administrations per student • Administered in two days with possible two-day make-up session w/in two weeks • Additional content areas and items to ensure full range of Michigan Curriculum Framework is assessed and full range of student achievement measured

14. Questions • Check the web for further updates • www.michigan.gov/mde • www.michigan.gov/meap • For specific MEAP questions send e-mail • meap@michigan.gov