This spring students will be taking the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) and PSAT 8 Tests (8th grade only). The testing window for administering these tests begins Monday, April 11th. All 8th graders will be tested during the first three weeks of the testing window ( the last day for testing for 8th graders will be Friday, April 29th). The 6th and 7th graders will begin testing during the week of May 9th and complete testing before Friday, May 21st.
This year, 8th graders will take the PSAT 8 Tests (Evidence Based Reading and Writing and Math) in addition to M-Step Social Studies tests and M-Step Science tests. The PSAT 8 Tests will be given on Wednesday, April 13th. These tests are timed and will take students 2 hours and 35 minutes to complete. If your child needs additional time to take these tests as documented in an IEP or 504 plan, he/she will take that test at a later date during that week; some EL students will be given extended time to test. Students who miss the April 13th testing date will be required to take the tests during the PSAT 8/9 make-up testing window on Tuesday, April 26th or Wednesday, April 27th. The M-Step Social Studies and M-Step Science tests will be given on Tuesday, April 19th and Thursday, April 21st, respectively.
Students in grades 6 and 7 will take the English Language Arts and the Mathematics assessments, which will include both open-ended responses and multiple choice questions. These tests are very difficult and measure how students apply knowledge. These tests will be administered during the morning over a two week period, starting Tuesday, May 10th.
Here is the proposed schedule that we will follow for M-Step/PSAT 8 testing:
M-STEP Testing Schedule: Grade 8
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| April 11 | April 12 | April 13PSAT 8 Tests – AM(2 hour 35 minutes) | April 14PSAT 8 Tests -AM( IEP/504 Plan/ELL) | April 15No School – Vacation |
| April 18 | April 19M-Step SS – AM | April 20 | April 21M-Step Science – AM | April 22 |
M-STEP Testing Schedule: Grades 6 & 7
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| April 25 | April 26: 6th Grade ELA & 7th Grade Math | April 27: 6th Grade ELA & 7th Grade Math | April 28: 6th Grade ELA | April 29 |
| May 9 | May 10M: 6th Grade Math & 7th Grade ELA | May 11: 6th Grade Math & 7th Grade ELA | May 12: 7th Grade ELA | May 13 |
| May 16 | May 17 Make-up Testing | May 18 Make-up Testing | May 19 Make-up Testing | May 20 |
Please review with your child the following test-taking tips.
Before the Test:
*Develop a positive attitude. Tell yourself, “I will do my best on this test.”
*Get a good night’s sleep the night before the test.
*Get up early enough to avoid hurrying to get ready for school.
*Eat a healthy breakfast.
During the Test:
*Relax and stay calm.
*Listen carefully to the directions the teacher gives.
*Ask questions if you don’t understand what to do.
*Read each question carefully. Find the key words. Try to figure out what the question is really asking.
*Read the entire question and look at all the answer choices.
*Use strategies you learned in class to figure out the answer.
*Take your time picking the best answer; if the test is timed, answer all questions within the allotted time.
Sincerely,
Mr. Denison, Principal
Mrs. Turfe, Assistant Principal