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Michigan looks to increase standardized test score requirement

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011 17:03 PM



Through education reform, there has been a greater push to ensure that students are being challenged in their public school curriculum. A number of states are trying to secure funding for their reform efforts, and some are choosing to increase the proficiency levels on their standardized tests.

The Michigan State Board of Education is considering raising the passing scores for the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) and the Michigan Merit Exam (MME), according to the Detroit News.

If the measure were to pass, the new test score cutoffs would take place during the 2011-2012 school year.

Mike Flanagan, the state superintendent of public instruction, told the news provider that something had to change as too many kids were just being passed through the system even though they weren't ready.

"It's going to make a real difference in the share of kids who are being labeled proficient and in the share of schools passing AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)," Susan Dynarski, associate professor of economics, education and public policy at the University of Michigan, told AnnArbor.com. "Michigan has been Lake Woebegone - right now 95 percent of our third graders are labeled as proficient in math and under the new standards, it would become 34 percent."


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