ACT Releases Discussion Points on New Cut Scores for MEAP and MME

The State Board of Education (SBE) and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) are moving forward with the improvement of cut scores to the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) and the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). Local districts should understand the purpose behind this forward shift and how the benefits can be explained to their communities.

• In February 2011, the SBE approved the improvement of cut scores on the MME and the MEAP. "Cut Scores" are an essential part of defining the levels of performance (e.g., Advanced; Proficient; Partially Proficient; or Not Proficient) on a given test, in light of the content being measured.
• The previous passing score for these state assessments is set at a very basic level—enough for a basic trade in our old manufacturing economy, not in the advanced manufacturing economy of the future that requires significantly higher levels of academic proficiency in language arts and mathematics. 
• These new scores will represent whether a student is on-track toward career- and college-readiness.
• With the improved cut scores, students will need to get roughly 65 percent of the answers correct to "pass" the state test, instead of only 39 percent as was the previous benchmark.
• Twenty percent of Michigan students entering community colleges out of high school take remedial courses.
• This costs students valuable time and parents/students millions of dollars.
• Raising the cut scores will give a much better sense to Michigan students (and their parents) of whether they are adequately prepared for the next step in their education and quality job.
• State assessment scores will go down initially, but it will happen to everyone at the same time,  and at one time (not phased-in over a period of years that would require repeated explanation as to why scores continue to drop).
• By doing this, we also need to adjust our expectations for all students to be 100 percent proficient in reading and math by the 2013-2014, as required by federal law.
• This is why the MDE has requested a federal waiver of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that requires all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014. There has been no response yet from the U.S. Department of Education to this waiver request.
• The metrics are obvious: with the improved cut scores, for example, it most likely will show that our 3rd graders are not really 90 percent proficient statewide, but only 39 percent proficient. Parents should know this.
• But even after we adjust using the ACT College Ready standard, we will continue to make progress each year, like we have been for the past three years. (When the new scores are released, it will show a growth trend for the previous three years had the cut scores been at this new level.)
• The MDE has worked with national and statewide experts, including: ACT Measurement and Research staff, the National Center for Educational Achievement, Michigan's own Technical Advisory Committee consisting of local stakeholders, and other experts as appropriate to develop the methods to be used to identify career- and college-ready benchmarks based on the MME.
• Likewise, the MDE has worked with the same group of experts to develop the methods to be used to identify cut scores representative of being on-track to career- and college-readiness for the MEAP.
• Improving cut scores to increase the rigor of performance expected of students also would result in a recalibration in student proficiency rates in each grade and each subject.
• This recalibration in student proficiency rates would become the new benchmark from which students will improve over the course of the next several years as Michigan educators rise to the challenge of increased performance expectations for their students.
• This recalibration of test scores is similar to when all Michigan high school juniors were required to take the ACT and the state's average ACT score dropped.
• It only took an initial explanation as to why that happened, just as this will since ALL schools' scores will be recalibrated to the new benchmark.
• The SBE is doing this now, instead of earlier, because it wanted to wait until students had the benefit of being exposed to the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) and the updated Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs).
• We have confidence that educators and students—as they have done in the past—will continue to meet the challenge.
• It really is time for us to look at the end result of today's system of education in Michigan—readiness for post-secondary education and the careers of the 21st Century.