Michigan M-STEP Test Scores Released: Gaining Insights from Data to Support Growth and Proficiency

The fall semester has arrived, and Michigan educators are ready to look forward to another school year of new students and new learning. But, with finalized 2019 M-STEP test results just released by the Michigan Department of Education, this is the perfect time to look back and reflect on how previous performance can inform new approaches.

Here are a few of the most striking data points from the 2019 M-STEP released results:

• 7% of 3rd graders scored as “Proficient” or “Advanced” on the M-STEP math assessment. Among 7th graders, students scoring in these proficient ranges dipped to only 35.7%.
• 9% of 3rd graders did not achieve proficient scores on the M-STEP English language arts assessment—putting them at risk of failing to meet 3rd grade reading proficiency requirements approved by the Michigan legislature in 2016.
• M-STEP social studies assessments showed the lowest proficiency levels—only 4% of 5th grade students met or exceeded the benchmark.
• In the first year of statewide PSAT™ administration, scores on this exam look more promising than M-STEP assessment scores. 9% of 8th grade students scored “Proficient or Above,” with 39.9% scoring ‘“Advanced”’ on the PSAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing exam, as compared to only 42.8% “Proficient or Above” and 11.7% “Advanced” among 8th graders who took the M-STEP ELA assessment in the previous school year (2017–18). Scores on the PSAT Math portion are also up—41.4% of 8th grade students scored “Proficient or Above” on the PSAT as compared to 33.6% on the previous year’s M-STEP.
• In the fourth year of statewide 11th grade SAT® administration, the mean composite score dropped slightly, from 1000.1 in 2017–18 to 985.1 in 2018–19, with only 9% of students meeting or exceeding college readiness benchmarks. On a per-subject basis, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores took the biggest dip, with only 55.3% of students meeting the readiness benchmark in 2018–19 as compared to 57.8% of students the previous year.
• So, now that the 2018–19 M-STEP, PSAT, and SAT scores are finalized and published, it’s time to consider the more important question—what’s next? These assessments are an important aspect of Michigan’s ESSA accountability plan and the Top 10 in 10 initiative, but the high-level student data they provide also offer valuable insights for educators. Taking the time to dive into your school, district, or broader region’s results can be a great way to identify where and how to invest resources in the future.

Check out these blog posts for tips to put your students’ assessment data to use:

• Using Spring Testing Data for Back-to-School Planning
• [Best Practices] 5 Tips to Improve Student Outcomes with Data
• 3 Ways to Use Student Assessment Data

Once you’ve crunched the numbers and gleaned some insights, the next step is to come up with a plan for action. Study Island and Exact Path are two powerful online programs that can help, whether your students need to focus on growth, proficiency, or both, across all core subjects. Use Exact Path’s norm-referenced adaptive diagnostic assessments to pinpoint individual students’ precise strengths and weaknesses within our entire K–12 curriculum, deliver tailored instruction with personalized learning paths, and regularly reassess to monitor growth.

With Exact Path, you can solve challenges like:

• Shore up skill gaps in math, particularly for 3rd and 7th graders, who may be more than a single grade level behind
• Provide underperforming readers with more direct instruction focused on foundational reading skills that will allow 3rd graders to more successfully comprehend what they read

Pair that individualized learning with standards-based and time-saving practice and assessment from Study Island to promote grade-level proficiency.

With Study Island, you can solve challenges like:

• Reinforce specific social studies concepts, including key dates, historical figures, and timelines, with 5th grade students
• Help high school students practice critical reading techniques or algebraic approaches to prepare for college-ready material on the PSAT and SAT

Ready to get started? Here are few resources to help you learn more about these programs and see how they can help you boost student achievement.

Get to know Exact Path and Study Island:

• Growth and Proficiency Through Exact Path and Study Island
• [Research] Using Study Island to Support State Assessment Achievement
• Impacts of Study Island on Student Math Achievement on the NWEA™ MAP©
• Impacts of Study Island on Student Reading Achievement on the NWEA™ MAP©
• Exact Path Research Brief: Effectiveness Study
• How Michigan Educators Can Use Lexile Measures to Support Early Literacy Instruction

See how Exact Path and Study Island are supporting growth and proficiency in other districts:

• [Study Island + Exact Path] How Two Texas Districts Boosted Student Achievement Through Intervention, Acceleration, and Practice
• [Study Island + Exact Path] 3 Secrets to a Successful Implementation from Two Georgia Schools
• How a Texas High School Took a Holistic Approach to Boost Student Achievement
• A Winning Combination! Cayce Elementary + Edmentum Exact Path
• Kindergarten vs. 5th Grade: Study Island Implementations at Two Ends of the Elementary Spectrum

Interested in learning more about how Exact Path and Study Island can support your school or district goals? Get a quote today!