{"id":68,"date":"2015-11-18T11:44:06","date_gmt":"2015-11-18T16:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acutabove.wpengine.com\/?p=68"},"modified":"2015-12-03T15:22:20","modified_gmt":"2015-12-03T20:22:20","slug":"state-throws-schools-curveball-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=68","title":{"rendered":"State throws schools curveball"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Natalie Nohr<\/strong>
\nThe Oriole
\nQuincy HS
\n1st Place
\nDivision 4, News Writing
\nNews Analysis<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The State of Michigan is scrapping standardized testing as schools know it. A new state assessment, the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) will be introduced this testing season.<\/p>\n

Along with this new evaluation, juniors will be taking the SAT instead of the ACT beginning in spring 2016.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no \u201cnorm\u201d anymore. The state has completely dismantled every bit of norm that we\u2019ve ever had,\u201d Principal David Spalding said.<\/p>\n

Juniors should expect six days of computerized testing. The test will take place April 14-16 and 21-23.<\/p>\n

The new assessment includes two math and two English tests, then a social studies and science assessment, according to Spalding.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat used to be done in a day is now going to be done over six days,\u201d Spalding said.<\/p>\n

The M-STEP test was changed to better fit federal evaluation standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe state didn\u2019t feel that they were meeting the No Child Left Behind Laws,\u201d Spalding said.<\/p>\n

According\u00a0to Paradine, the M-STEP was written in order to create a sense of \u201ccontinuity\u201d among the tests.<\/p>\n

While elementary students used to take the MEAP, and high school students used to take the MME, the M-STEP will now be administered to all students.<\/p>\n

\u201c[They] created a single test with a single name… that was the main goal,\u201d Paradine said.<\/p>\n

Some are questioning if they can prepare students for the test in time for next spring.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt scares me that we\u2019re going to be judged on something that\u2019s brand new…we don\u2019t have a way to prep. We haven\u2019t seen the questions,\u201d Paradine said.
\nArtist is confident that the test results will not impact the state\u2019s school evaluations\u00a0for some time, even though each school\u2019s classifications are based on students\u2019 test scores.
\n\u201cThe results over the next two years will not reassign priority school and focus school designations,\u201d Artist said.<\/p>\n

The M-STEP isn\u2019t the only testing change for the Michigan<\/p>\n

Last February, the state released a request for proposals of student testing plans for the first time in three years, according to an update given by State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. The ACT and SAT then submitted bids by March of 2014. The State accepted the College Board\u2019s (SAT) bid.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SAT\u2019s bid was $15 million less than the ACT\u2019s,\u201d Spalding said.<\/p>\n

The state accepted the SAT bid; however, ACT is challenging the decision.
\n\u201cThe ACT is filing a lawsuit due to their belief that the bid package was not appropriately given to both companies,\u201d Spalding said.<\/p>\n

Staff and teachers are addressing the best way to prep students as the changes emerge.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The SAT] is rolling out a brand new test. Nobody knows what it looks like,\u201d Counselor Kevin Paradine said.
\nThe new tests will be more in line with state requirements according to Superintendent Craig Artist.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SAT version will be more in line with the Michigan standards,\u201d Artist said.<\/p>\n

English Department Co-Chair Karen Michael says the staff will have to acclimate to the new test.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have to familiarize ourselves with the SAT and build that into our classes,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

Spalding assures parents and students that he will do all he can to prepare the Class of 17 for the new SAT.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will do a study on what the SAT is and how it is different from the ACT…we will develop programs for the students,\u201d Spalding said.<\/p>\n

Michael agrees.
\n\u201cYou have to do what you have to do as a public school teacher,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

While the teachers and staff are forming ways to steady the waves of change, many are frustrated with the decision to change student evaluation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were really ahead of the game [testing-wise], and now the state is just taking the whole thing and throwing it up in the air. We just have to see where it falls and pick up the pieces the best we can,\u201d Spalding said.<\/p>\n

Students are frustrated and confused with the changes as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on,\u201d Julia\u00a0Hildebrand `17 said.<\/p>\n

Parents and students should continue to follow the news to be aware of the status of the ACT\u2019s lawsuit, as that may cause another set of changes.<\/p>\n

Fifty-eighth District Representative Eric Leutheuser says that the changes shocked many people. However, he says that the state will be offering prepatory materials to schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are going to make some training materials available through the Khan Academy for students, and training for teachers through the College Board,\u201d Leutheuser said.<\/p>\n

In the midst of change, some see the potential for positive change among students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think change is rejuvenating. It makes people strive to be better,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Natalie Nohr The Oriole Quincy HS 1st Place Division 4, News Writing News Analysis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[53,4],"tags":[48,23],"class_list":["post-68","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-newsanalysis","category-nw","tag-48","tag-division4","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kelsey Parkinson","author_link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?author=3"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6K0n6-16","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=68"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=68"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=68"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=68"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}