How to Understand Michigan Merit Exam Results Lenawee ISD June, 2011

MME Facts Fifth year of administering the MME The high school juniors who took the Michigan Merit Exam this past spring are the second set of students required by law to complete the new high school requirements in order to graduate. The test is administered to most students over a three-day period. – ACT Plus Writing ® college entrance exam on Day 1, – three subtests of the WorkKeys ® job skills assessment on Day 2, – additional items in mathematics, science, and social studies that complete the measurement of Michigan High School Content Expectations on Day 3.

Performance Levels on the MME Four levels for MME tests – “Advanced” = “Wow” – “Proficient” = “You’ve Got It” – “Partially Proficient” = “Nearly There” – “Not Proficient” = “Oops”

What were the components of each MME test score? MME Reading – – ACT Reading and WorkKeys Reading for Information MME Writing – – ACT English and ACT Writing MME Math – – ACT Math, ACT WorkKeys Applied Mathematics, ACT WorkKeys Locating Information, and Michigan Mathematics MME Science – – ACT Science and Michigan Science MME Social Studies – ACT WorkKeys Locating Information and Michigan Social Studies

MME Reading Reading, Listening, and Viewing – Strategy Development Develop critical reading strategies – Meaning Beyond the Literal Level Use a variety of reading strategies to construct meaning (e.g., drawing inferences; confirming and correcting; making comparisons, connections, and generalizations; and drawing conclusions) – Independent Reading Develop as a reader for personal, social, and political purposes, through independent reading. Literature and Culture – Close Literary Reading Develop the skills of close and contextual literary reading

MME Writing Writing, Speaking, and Expressing – Writing Process Understand and practice writing as a recursive process. – Purpose and Audience Communicate in writing using content, form, voice, and style appropriate to the audience and purpose (e.g., to reflect, persuade, inform, analyze, entertain, inspire) – Inquiry & Research Gather evidence and draw conclusions about a topic – Effective Use of Language Use language effectively in a variety of contexts

MME Math

Quantitative Literacy and Logic Reasoning About Numbers, Systems and Quantitative Situations – represent quantitative relationships using mathematical symbols, and interpret relationships from those representations (Algebra I) Calculation, Algorithms, and Estimation – describe and use algorithms in appropriate situations (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II) Mathematical Reasoning, Logic, and Proof – interpret arguments made about quantitative situations, know the language and laws of logic in both mathematical and everyday settings, and write proofs using direct and indirect methods (Geometry)

Algebra and Functions Expressions, Equations, and Inequalities – recognize, construct, interpret, and evaluate expressions (Algebra I, Algebra II) Functions – understand functions, their representations, and their attributes, perform transformations, combine and compose functions, and find inverses (Algebra I, Algebra II) Families of Functions – the symbolic and graphical forms of each function family. using them as tools for solving problems or for modeling real-world situations. (Algebra I, Algebra II)

Geometry and Trigonometry Figures and Their Properties – represent basic geometric figures, polygons, and conic sections and apply their definitions and properties in solving problems and justifying arguments (Geometry, Algebra II) Relationships Between Figures – use and justify relationships between lines, angles, area and volume formulas, and 2- and 3-dimensional representations (Geometry) Transformations of Figures in the Plane – solve problems about distance-preserving transformations and shape-preserving transformations (Geometry)

Statistics and Probability Univariate Data-Examining Distributions – plot and analyze univariate data by considering the shape of distributions and analyzing outliers; find and interpret commonly-used measures of center and variation; and explain and use properties of the normal distribution. (Algebra II) Bivariate Data—Examining Relationships – plot and interpret bivariate data by constructing scatterplots, recognizing linear and nonlinear patterns, and interpreting correlation coefficients; fit and interpret regression models (Algebra I) Probability Models and Operations – understand probability and find probabilities in various situations, applying the concepts of probability to make decisions (ACT College Readiness Standard)

MME Science Inquiry and Reflection – Identify patterns in data, describe a reason for a given conclusion using evidence, and develop an understanding of a scientific concept by accessing information from multiple sources Earth Science – Earth Systems, The Solid Earth, The Fluid Earth, and Earth in Space and Time Biology – Organization of Living Systems, Living Systems and the Environment, and Genetics, Evolution and Biodiversity Physics – Motion of Objects, Forces of Motion, and Energy Chemistry – Energy Transfer and Conservation, Properties of Matter, and Changes in Matter

MME Social Studies World History and Geography – 300 A.D to present – global, interregional, and regional topics United States History and Geography – 1870 to present – Industrialization and Urbanization, Great Depression and World War II, Post World War II America, and America in the Global Age Civics – Conceptual foundations, origins of American government, structure and function of American government, the US and world affairs, and citizenship Economics – The Market Economy, The National Economy, and The International Economy Inquiry – Read and interpret data in tables and graphs and use deductive and inductive problem-solving skills