Chelsea School District shares 2016 M-Step results

By Crystal Hayduk

The State of Michigan recently released results of the 2015-16 Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-Step), and Chelsea School District will release individual student results to parents this month.

The M-Step, which was designed to align with Common Core State Standards, is given statewide in the spring to students in third through eighth grades. It assesses progress on the current year’s performance standards.

M-Step tests math and language arts at each grade level, science in fourth and seventh grades, and social studies in fifth and eighth grades.

M-Step was introduced only two years ago, replacing the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP), which had been administered each fall to assess the previous year’s learning. According to Michigan.gov, the MEAP had been used in some form since 1969.

Marcus Kaemming, Chelsea School District’s executive director of instruction, curriculum and human resources, said that Chelsea students’ 2015-16 M-Step scores are generally improved from 2014-15, and the district “looks good compared to the average of the other districts within the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.”

Despite the optimism regarding this year’s scores, Kaemming cautioned against direct comparisons when interpreting results. “The problem with looking at scores from one year to another is that a different group of children are taking the test,” he said. “Last year’s fourth graders are not the same students taking this year’s fourth grade M-Step. We don’t want to overreact to a single score. It’s more important that we look at trending data over time – at the overall picture.”

Another factor to consider is changes in curriculum from year to year. For example, the district is currently in its third year using the College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM) curriculum, and in its first year using Investigating and Questioning Our World Through Science and Technology (IQWST) in the science program. Academic subjects are reviewed on a regular basis.

The district’s instructional specialists will closely examine the data, and make plans for continuous improvement. “We know we need to continue the work we’ve been doing in science and social studies,” said Kaemming.

“M-Step is just one data strand that we look at,” he said. “We also look at NWEA scores, individual classroom assessments, SAT/ACT scores, along with many other pieces of data. Chelsea School District also prides itself on more than just the academics. Social and emotional well-being – the balance of the whole child – is equally important.”

M-Step results for 2016, compared with the averages of other districts throughout the county, are reported in the tables below. Complete results, including results for students with disabilities, can be found using the report tool at Michigan School Data. (https://www.mischooldata.org/DistrictSchoolProfiles/AssessmentResults/AssessmentGradesPerformance.aspx)

CSD M-Step Results, 2016 – Percent proficient

MATH ELA