1. Michigan Merit Exam Analysis
Presented by Dr. Joan Livingston,
Academic Services Department

2. Overview of AM Meet the ELA portion of the Michigan Merit Exam
District analysis & school comparison
Data for CHS, FHS, and SHS
School improvement logs/planning
Sharing thoughts

3. Meet the ELA portion of the MME: Reading & Writing
Reading consists of:
40 multiple choice questions from the Reading portion of ACT
30 multiple choice questions from the Work Keys Reading for Information
Determining main ideas
Locating and interpreting significant details
Identifying relationships
Understanding meanings of words
Drawing conclusions
Read the text
Overall, the emphasis is on higher-order thinking, such as analysis and synthesis in content areas.

4. Reading Standards 4 Standards = 51 points
R2.1 Strategy Development (18 points)
R2.2 Meaning Beyond Literal (15 questions)
R2.3 Independent Reading (12 points)
L3.1 Close Literature Reading (6 points)

5. R2.1 Strategy Development (18 points)
Comprehension of challenging fiction/nonfiction and technical materials
Four ACT passages representative of first year college curricula—prose fiction, humanities, social and natural sciences.
Work Keys passages—reading and understanding work related instructions, policies such as memos, letters, directions, signs, notices, bulletins, policies, regulations

6. R2.2 Meaning Beyond Literal (15 questions)
Requires students to construct meaning from a variety of challenging fiction and non-fiction texts beyond the literal level
drawing inferences
confirming and correcting predictions
compare/contrast
making connections/generalizations
drawing conclusions

7. R2.3 Independent Reading (12 points)
Critically reading and interpreting a variety of fiction/non-fiction text independently
Social purposes
Personal purposes
Political purposes

8. L3.1 Close Literature Reading (6 points)
Reading and analyzing information:
Help them understand their individuality as a member of society
Exploration and use of the characteristics of different types of texts
Aesthetic elements that include text structure, figurative & descriptive language to convey meaning
Questions based on:
Intact short stories
Excerpts from novels or short stories
Passages from memoirs,
Personal essays in the content of humanities

9. Writing consists of: 75 multiple choice questions
-38 questions from English portion of the ACT
-writing constructed response portion of the ACT consisting of 12 possible points (based on the ACT 6 point rubric)
Have rubric available to share
Have sample questions if available

10. Writing Standards 4 standards:
W1.1 Writing Process (15 possible points)
W1.3 Purpose & Audience (27 possible points)
Includes ACT Writing Test
W1.4 Inquiry & Research (2 possible points)
LAN 4.1 Effective Use of Language (13 possible points)
1. May include HSCEs that may include content expectations related to writing process, but MDE not released a list of content expectations that correlate to this section of the assessment
Again, this may include HSCEs that may relate to writing content standards, but MDE has not released a list of content expectations that correlate this section of the assessment.

11. ACT Writing Test
75 multiple choice questions embedded in the MME Writing Tests results
30 minutes
Argumentive writing skills:
-given a writing prompt and must define an issue and describe 2 points of view on the issue.
Read after 1st line: Direct alignment is not possible because only some items are included in the results. The state does not provide an item analysis that includes specific details.

12. 6-point rubric used to determine their ability to:
Express judgments by taking a position on an issue
Maintain a focus on the topic
Develop a position by using logical reasoning and by supporting their ideas
Logically organized
Use language clearly and effectively according to the conventions of standard written English

13. ACT English Test
The content covered includes the six elements of effective writing.
Usage and Mechanics:
1. punctuation (13%)—internal and end-of-sentence, an emphasis on the relationship of punctuation to meaning:
comma, semicolon, colon, hyphen, apostrophe, dash, question mark, parentheses

14. ACT English Test 2. Grammar & Usage (16%): Subject verb agreement
Agreement between pronoun and antecedent and between modifiers and the word modified
Verb formation
Pronoun case
Formation of comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs
Idiomatic usage

15. ACT English Test 3. Sentence Structure
Understanding relationships between and among clauses, placement of modifiers, and shifts in construction

16. ACT English Test Rhetorical Skills 4. Strategy (16%)
Develop a given topic while:
-considering audience
-judging the effect of adding, revising, or deleting supporting material
-choosing effective opening, transitional and closing sentences

17. ACT English Test 5. Organization (15%) Organizing ideas
Judge the relevance of statements in context
(order, coherence, unity)

18. ACT English Test 6. Style (16%)
Select precise and appropriate words and images
Maintain the level of style and tone in an essay
Manage sentence elements for rhetorical effectiveness
Avoiding ambiguous pronoun references, wordiness

19. Let’s take a look at data from LPS in Reading
What do you notice about the reading performance level percents?
How does the individual school data compare to the district?
Talk
Share out what you notice.
Page 2 of analysis report.
Chart?

20. LPS Subgroup Data for Reading
Take a look at the “Reading District Subgroup Comparison”
What do you notice?
Talk
Share out what you notice.

21. Reading Standard Data—District
Take a look at each standard.
What do you notice about each standard?
Talk
Share what you notice.

22. Let’s take a look at Writing data in LPS
What do you notice about the writing performance level percents?
How does the district compare to individual school data?
Talk
Share out what you notice.

23. LPS Subgroup Data for Writing
Take a look at the “Writing District Subgroup Comparison”
What do you notice?
Talk
Share out what you notice

24. Writing Standard Data—District
Take a look at each standard.
What do you notice about each standard?
Talk
Share what you notice.

25. Let’s dig into data from each school
Take a look at each standard in both reading and writing.
What do you notice? Identify deficits/gaps
Use data chart
Talk
4. Share what you notice.
Move to next slide
Show them your example based on SI goal on template

26. Here’s What!/So what?/Now What? Activity
Filled with specific facts or information (data)
Example:
Every subgroup, except females, trailing below the proficiency level for “all students” in LPS
Students with disabilities trailing 41%
Black students trailing 39%
Econ. Disadvantaged trailing 22%
Males trailing 3%
An interpretation of the data
We have low expectations for some students
A predication, an implication or a question for further study
We need to change our instructional practices to meet the needs of all of our students
We need PD on differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students
We need to provide more support to struggling learners
Allow for about minutes

27. Data & School Improvement
School Improvement Example
List activities needed to implement the strategy
List student learning that is the result of the teaching strategy
List the on-going data collection/monitoring process to be used to evaluate effectiveness of the Activity on reducing the achievement gap.
Share with them what activities I would do
Example: commas in writing—mini lesson where I model, use student writing samples, conferring

28. School Improvement Template
What’s your plan?
Create objectives
Formulate strategies/activities (what works)
Be specific in your steps
20-30 minutes

29. Sharing By School Churchill: Franklin: Stevenson:
Type in what each school reports out
Copy this for them as a record and to them or send to them electronically