How did Michigan students do on the statewide, standardized test this year?
That's what we'll find out Tuesday morning, when the state Department of Education releases the spring 2016 results of the M-STEP.
The test was rolled out for the first time last year, and it’s been controversial. Some parents have opted their kids out, while some teachers say it takes up way too much classroom time and shouldn’t be used as the main evaluation of teachers in the future.
But advocates say it's better than old test, the MEAP.
Suneet Bedi is with the Education Trust Midwest. She says it’s definitely a more rigorous test.
"And therefore it's a better benchmark for our students,” she says. “MEAP didn't have that same relationship. And so we weren't entirely totally honest with ourselves on those tests.”
Last year, only about half of students scored proficient or advanced in English. The results were even worse for math and science.
But that wasn’t completely unexpected, according to Bedi.
“Given that it was the first year, results were a little bit lower. In this upcoming year, we expect, it's only the second year. And educators still need time to adjust. They still need support.”
Meanwhile, there's a chance this could be M-STEP's last year, if it's in fact replaced by yet another new test in the 2017-2018 school year.
