The MEAP Test

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The MEAP Test

• Michigan State University
• TE 301

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• Overview of the MEAP test

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What is the MEAP Test?

• Mission
• 1. To develop the best possible assessment of
  student academic knowledge and skills
• 2. To provide assistance on improving schools
  instructional programs based on student
  achievement
• 3. To be a indicator of educational progress
  over time

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What is the Purpose of the MEAP Test?

• Measure what Michigan Educators believe all
  students should know and be able to achieve in
  the five content areas
• Paint a picture of how well Michigan students and
  schools are doing compared to standards
  established by the State Board of Education
• Results can be used for school improvement
  purposes

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What is the format of the MEAP?

• Multiple Choice Items
• Short Essay Answers
• Extended Essay Writing
• Types of MEAP Questions
• Constructing Meaning Questions
• Knowledge About Reading Questions

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Constructing Meaning Questions

• Intersentence Questions
• Information comes from 2 or 3 connected
  sentences
• Text Questions
• Information comes from one or more paragraphs
  from the selection
• Beyond Text Questions
• Information from the selection is combined with
  information that is not in the text

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Knowledge About Reading Questions

• Reader Factor
• These questions focus on the readers awareness
  of how their experiences and interests influence
  their own reading
• Text Factor
• These questions ask about text type (narrative
  and informational text)
• Knowledge about Reading Strategies
• These questions focus on readers awareness of
  comprehension strategies that are appropriate for
  reading a passage under various reading conditions

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Test Design Spring 2002
See handout attached in booklet
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Standard Setting

• Standard-setting is a process of determining
  cut scores that allow the students performance
  to be divided into categories.
• High School Categories
• Level 1 Exceeded Michigan Standards
• Level 2 Met Michigan Standards
• Level 3 Basic
• Level 4 - Unendorsed

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• Merit Awards

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Merit Awards History

• On January 28th, 1999 Governor John Engler
  proposed the Merit Scholarship program to help
  develop the MEAP test
• On May 11th, 1999 Speaker Charles Perricone
  introduced House Bill No. 4666 to create the
  Merit Scholarship program.
• The Bill was signed into law on June 30, 1999.

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How the Michigan MEAP Merit Scholarship Works

• 2500 is awarded to students who meet or
  exceed the states goals in reading, writing,
  math and science
• Who is eligible for the scholarship?
• Any student who takes the 11th grade MEAP
  tests and meets or exceeds the state standards in
  the content areas

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How the Michigan MEAP Merit Scholarship Works

• How must the money be used?
• Up to 1000 can be used to any approved
  post-secondary school. The full amount of the
  scholarship may only be used in Michigan.
• Can students earn money from the other MEAP
  tests?
• A student in 7th grade is eligible for up to
  an additional 500 if he or she received qualify
  scores in the MEAP tests four core subject areas.

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Thousands of Students Earn Merit Award
Scholarships

• Class of 2000 43,068
• Class of 2001 48,760
• Class of 2002 45,002
• more than half of the students who took the
  MEAP test qualified for a Merit Award
• 1999 only 30 of students qualified for a Merit
  Award
• However, this results are particularly
  valuable because there was such a high number or
  students who did not take the test, or perhaps
  didnt take it seriously.

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• Arguments about the MEAP

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Pro for MEAP test

• Determines what a student knows and what they are
  capable of doing
• Provide a common denominator to insure that all
  Michigan students are learning the same skills
  and knowledge in the same way, at the same time
• Indicate overall strengths and weaknesses of the
  school districts curriculum and helps with
  improvement
• The MEAP is the only common measure given to
  students statewide

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Pro for Merit Awards

• Helps with Michigans Financial Aid Program
• Scholarship provides assistance to middle income
  families who earn to much money for grants, but
  find it difficult to pay for higher education
• Transforms the MEAP test into a truly high-stakes
  test incentive to take the test and take it
  seriously
• Gives incentive to schools to align their
  curriculum with the State Board of Educations
  Curriculum Framework, which will help to
  eliminate inequality that exists between high and
  low income families.

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Con for MEAP Test

• Too many pressures on students to do well
  resulting in MEAP irregularities
• MEAP content takes up 40 of instructional time
• Standards are frustrating often students miss
  meeting a standard by one point
• There is nothing to gain

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Con for Merit Awards

• Using MEAP scores for criteria for the
  scholarships discriminates against minorities
  from urban school districts
• Most of the scholarship money will go to students
  in wealthier school districts, and not to those
  who need it the most
• Merit Scholarships may exclude private and
  home-schooled students

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Activity Is the MEAP test and the Merit
Scholarships beneficial to students and their
school district?

• Form 2 groups
• Review the information you looked at last
  week amongst group members and fill out plan of
  action sheet to prepare yourself for the debate.