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Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP)

Fall 2005 Test Design

English Language Arts

Grades 3-8, High School

Updated March 2005

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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

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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

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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.

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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)

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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

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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

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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