K-12 Student Assessments

Standard Assessments

Highlights

Record Level: Student by Year by Assessment 
Population: Students in the Michigan K12 educational system 
Information Contained: MSTEP, MEAP, and MME Assessment scores 
Years Covered: 2007-Present

Description

The K-12 Student Assessments - Standard data contains student-level assessment data from the K-12 environment. Available datasets reflect information about the standard assessments which are (typically) required to be taken by Michigan students to capture the performance of the K-12 educational system. Each record (row) in the dataset is a student's assessment scores for a single year. Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) was administered in the Fall from 2007 to 2013. Michigan Merit Exam (MME) was administered in the Spring from 2008 to 2014. Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) has been administered in the Spring from 2015 to 2023, excluding 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current standard assessment is the M-STEP, which was predated by the MEAP and MME.

COVID-19 Data Warning

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan state standardized assessments were not administered in the 2020 academic year. In addition, Michigan state standardized assessments were voluntary in the 2021 academic year. We have fewer records in 2021 than we do in years where standardized assessments were mandatory - about 500 thousand records, compared to over 680 thousand in 2022 and 740 thousand in 2019.

Number of Individuals with Records

We have assessment records for over 11.5 million student by year records in total from AY2008 to AY2022. With regards to each specific assessment, we have records for 4.9 million student by year observations that were assessed using the M-STEP, 800 thousand student by year observations that were assessed using the MME, and 5.7 million student by year observations that were assessed using the MEAP. This amounts to over 2.8 million total students, 1.8 million of whom ever took an MSTEP exam, 1.6 million of whom ever took a MEAP exam, and over 800 thousand of whom ever took an MME exam.

Grades Assessments are Administered

The M-STEP is administered to students in the 3rd-8th grade,11th grade, and a few 12th graders. The MME was administered to students in the 11th grade and a few 12th graders. The MEAP was administed to students in the 3rd-9th grade.

Subjects Assessed by Academic Year and Grade

• For the 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Academic Years (AY), we have M-STEP's English Language Arts and Math scores for students in the 3rd through 7th grade and Social Studies scores for 5th, 8th, 11th, and a few 12th graders. The PSAT 8/9 replaces the M-STEP ELA and Mathematics assessment in grade 8 and will be part of Michigan's accountability system for 2019 and beyond.
• For the 2018 Academic Year (AY), we have M-STEP's English Language Arts and Math scores for students in the 3rd through 8th grade and Social Studies scores for 5th, 8th, 11th, and a few 12th graders.
• For the 2016 and 2017 Academic Years (AY), we have M-STEP's English Language Arts and Math scores for students in the 3rd through 8th grade; Social Studies scores for 5th, 8th, 11th, and a few 12th graders; and Science scores for 4th, 7th, 11th, and a few 12th graders.
• For the 2015 Academic Year (AY), we have M-STEP's English Language Arts and Math scores for students in the 3rd through 12th grade; Social Studies scores for 5th, 8th, 11th, and a few 12th graders; and Science scores for 4th, 7th, 11th, and a few 12th graders.
• For the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 Academic Years (AY) we have MEAP's Reading and Math scores for students in the 3rd through 8th grade; Social Studies scores for students in 6th and 9th grade; Science scores for students in 5th and 8th grade; and Writing scores for students in the 4th and 7th grade. In addition, we have MME's Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Writing scores for 11th and a few 12th graders.
• For the 2010 Academic Year (AY) we have MEAP's Reading and Math scores for students in the 3rd through 8th grade; Social Studies scores for students in 6th and 9th grade; and Science scores for students in 5th and 8th grade. In addition, we have MME's Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Writing scores for 11th and a few 12th graders.
• For the 2008 and 2009 Academic Years (AY) we have MEAP's Reading, Math, and Writing scores for students in the 3rd through 8th grade; Social Studies scores for students in 6th and 9th grade; and Science scores for students in 5th and 8th grade. In addition, we have MME's Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Writing scores for 11th and a few 12th graders.

Subject Test Key Variables

Multiple variables are associated with each subject test, and the main one is the scaled score. It is important to note that subject test scores are scaled by grade, so different grades' scaled scores cannot be compared. There is a variable that indicates whether the student was proficient on a given subject portion of the assessment, with categories including, "Advanced", "Advanced Proficient", "Partially Proficient", and "Not Proficient". Starting in 2015, we also have students' Student Growth Percentile and Adequate Growth Percentile scores. The Student Growth Percentile is measured against students who scored similarly to the student in the previous year. The Adequate Growth Percentile is the minimum percentile rank the student needed to achieve to reach "catchup" growth. If interested in Student Growth Percentiles in the years 2019-2023, we recommend reading this memo regarding changes to Student Growth Percentile in these years around the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Standard Assessment Subscores

The standard assessment subscores dataset provides a more nuanced breakdown of the subject test scores in the current standard assessment, M-STEP.

Number of Individuals with Records

We have M-STEP subscores records for around 1.8 million students in total.

Number of Test Takers by Grade

We have scores for over 500 thousand individuals that were tested in each grade from 3rd to 8th and 11th grade. In addition, we have scores for 16 thousand 12th graders.

Subject Subscores by Academic Year and Grade

• For the 2016, 2017,2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Academic Years (AY), please see above for Standard Assessments' Subjects Assessed by Academic Year and Grade Section. The subscores we have for particular grades during these years correspond to the M-STEP subjects assessed in those years.
• For the 2015 Academic Year (AY), we have M-STEP's English Language Arts and Math scores for students in the 3rd through 8th grade, 11th grade, and a few 12th graders; Social Studies scores for 5th, 8th, 11th, and a few 12th graders; and Science scores for 4th, 7th, 11th, and a few 12th graders.

Key Variables

Within the dataset, each row represents one students' subscore in a particular year. A row provides hierarchical information in the variables "SUBJECT" and "SUBSCORE_RPT_LEVEL_DESC". The subjects include 'Mathematics', 'English Language Arts', 'Science', and 'Social Studies'. Those subjects each have multiple components to them, which is what "SUBSCORE_RPT_LEVEL_DESC" provides. See below for the "SUBJECT" and their "SUBSCORE_RPT_LEVEL_DESC" (referred to as components) during specific years.

• The Mathematics components during the 2015 Academic Year include:

Alternative Assessments

The Alternative Assessments Researcher file contains commonly requested student-level assessment data from the K-12 environment pertaining to alternative state administered tests. For this file, the assessments are MI-Access (current) and MEAP-Access (retired 13/14). Data covers all students from private, home schooled and public schools who have participated in these assessments. While private and home schooled students are included in this dataset, they are not advised for reporting unless specifically researching questions around those groups of students. MDE & CEPI do not include private or home schooled students in their reporting.

Number of Individuals with Records

We have Alternative Assessment records for over 320 thousand student by year observations, with over 115 thousand total students. With regards to each specific assessment, we have records for 40 thousand students that were assessed using the MEAP-Access and 80 thousand students that were assessed using the MI-Access.

Number of Test Takers by Grade

We have scores for 30 to 40 thousand individuals that were tested in each grade from 3rd to 11th grade.

Subjects Assessed by Academic Year and Grade

• For the 2015, 2016, 2017,2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Academic Year (AY), we have Mi-Access English Language Arts and Math scores for student in the 3rd-8th and 11th grade; Social Studies scores for 5th, 8th, and 11th graders; and Science scores for 4th, 7th, and 11th graders.
• For the 2012, 2013, and 2014 Academic Year (AY), we have Mi-Access Reading and Math scores for 3rd through 8th graders and 11th graders; Science scores for 5th, 8th, and 11th graders. In addition, we also have MEAP-Access Reading and Math scores for 3rd through 8th graders; Writing scores for 4th and 7th gradeers.
• For the 2011 Academic Year (AY), we have Mi-Access Reading and Math scores for 3rd through 8th graders and 11th graders; Science scores for 5th, 8th, and 11th graders.
• For the 2010 Academic Year (AY), we have Mi-Access Reading and Math scores for 3rd through 8th graders and 11th graders; Science scores for 5th, 8th, and 11th graders. In addition, we also have MEAP-Access Reading and Math scores for 3rd through 8th graders.
• For the 2008 and 2009 Academic Year (AY), we have Mi-Access Reading and Math scores for 3rd through 8th graders and 11th graders; Science scores for 5th, 8th, and 11th graders.