M-STEP
M‐STEP stands for Michigan Student Test of Education Progress. M‐STEP includes summative assessments and computer adaptive tests designed to measure student growth. English language arts and mathematics will be assessed in grades 3–8, science in grades 4, 7 and 11 and social studies in grades 5, 8 and 11.
M‐STEP testing takes place in April/May of each academic year. Students take the tests online using desktop computers and/or Chromebooks.
Registration is NOT required; All BRPS students take this test as mandated by the State of Michigan.
PSAT/NMSQT
PSAT/NMSQT stands for Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It is a comprehensive assessment that measures college and career readiness and gives students tools for planning their future.
The PSAT measures skills in three academic areas: reading, writing and language, and math.
The PSAT is used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and identifies candidates for the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic completion for recognition and college scholarships.
All juniors at Black River will take the PSAT in October. Registration is NOT required and Black River covers the registration fee. For more information on the PSAT, visit: https://www.collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat‐nmsqt‐psat‐10
PSAT8/9 AND PSAT 10
As part of the Michigan required state assessments, all students in grades 8, 9 & 10 will take the PSAT 8/9 (8th/9th grade) and PSAT 10 (10th grade). The assessments are given the third week of April each year. The PSAT 8/9 and 10 tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT, in a way that makes sense for eight, ninth and tenth graders. It measures what they’re already learning, shows them whether they’re on track for college, and lets them know where they need the most improvement. Beginning in 2018, the PSAT will be used to measure student growth for school accountability purposes.
The State of Michigan provides free, personalized test prep for the new SAT through the Khan Academy. 9th & 10th graders are encouraged to register and take advantage of this resource. Parents can also set up accounts to interact with the provided services.
If you or your students are interested or would like to get started, please visit: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat
MME
The Michigan Merit Examination (MME) assesses students in grade 11 and eligible students in grade 12 based on Michigan high school standards. It is administered each spring, and consists of three components:
- College Board SAT plus essay
- WorkKeys® job skills assessments Workplace Documents, Applied Math, and Graphic Literacy
- Michigan‐developed Science and Social Studies M‐STEP
The MME gives students a free opportunity to take the SAT. The SAT is the most widely used college admissions test and covers reading, mathematics, writing and language. A good SAT score can also help students attain scholarships. The WorkKeys is a job skills assessment system that helps employers select, hire, train, develop, and retain a high‐performance workforce. This WorkKeys measures foundational and soft skills and offers specialized assessments to target institutional needs. The final part of the MME is the Michigan developed components, known as the M‐STEP. At the high school level, students in 11th grade are given science and social studies M‐STEP exams.
SAT
The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a widely used college entrance exam and covers reading, mathematics, writing and language. All students in the State of Michigan will take the SAT plus essay in April of their junior year as part of the Michigan required assessments.
Students will receive an overall score out of 1600. This score is calculated by adding their score on the Math section with their score on the Evidence‐Based Reading & Writing section (each section is scored on a 200–800 scale).
The state pays for the April required assessment and registration is not required. All other test dates are optional and students will be required to register at: https://www.collegeboard.org
The State of Michigan provides free, personalized test prep for the new SAT through the Khan Academy. Students are encouraged to register and take advantage of this resource. Parents can also set up accounts to interact with the provided services. If you or your students are interested or would like to get started, please visit: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat.
ACT
The ACT is another widely used college entrance exam. Most students will take the ACT in their junior or senior year. The test can be taken more than once. Test scores do usually improve, so it is recommended that students take it at least twice.
The ACT contains four multiple‐choice tests—English, mathematics, reading, and science—and an optional writing test. These tests are designed to measure skills that are most important for success in postsecondary education and that are acquired in secondary education. The score range for each of the four multiple‐ choice tests is 1–36. The Composite score is the average of the four test scores rounded to the nearest whole number.
Registration and fee payment is required if students wish to take this test. For more information or to register for the ACT test, visit: https://www.act.org.