• Okemos School's Deputy Superintendent, Patricia Trelstad gives a presentation on the new MEAP cut scores at February's Board of Education meeting.

UPDATE: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - New rigorous standards for statewide assessments mean a significant decline in proficiency levels in math, reading, writing, social studies and science on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) exam. The annual exam, approved by the Michigan State Board of Education, is administered every October throughout the State of Michigan to third-through ninth-graders. It is utilized to determine student performance at given intervals using the content standards developed by Michigan educators. The test centers on a criterion-reference meaning that test results of each student are reported and judged against an established performance standard. This performance standard in the state of Michigan is based on new scores that represent a judgment about the percent of questions answered correctly to meet the targeted performance standard.

The state is now applying changes to performance standards by raising the score levels that determine student proficiency. The scoring changes are part of an effort by the State Department of Education to more accurately boost and gauge student achievement. The vote to raise the MEAP test cut scores along with other assessment exams was approved last fall. With this higher expectation, Lansing area school administrations currently predict a drop in test results initially, but are confident in the overall improvement in the future.

In past years, a score of five of ten correct questions or score as low as 39 percent would mean a student met performance standards. The new cut score, however, has risen and requires eight of ten correct questions or a score of 65 percent in order for a student to be considered proficient.


ORIGINAL STORY: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - School districts in Lansing and surrounding areas will potentially face a decrease in student proficiency levels on the MEAP test due to new cut score requirements.