LANSING - The State Board of Education adopted the passing score levels for the Spring 2007 Michigan Merit Examination (MME), the new statewide high school test that includes the ACT test for all high school students.

These scores will determine which students pass the tests. Students who pass the MME will be eligible for the Michigan Merit Award scholarship, and the scores are used to determine whether each high school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), as required under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The passing level adopted by the State Board is equivalent to what the passing level would have been for the high school Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test. This will help in the transition from the former MEAP test to the new Merit Exam because it is initially based on the same curriculum standards as the previous high school MEAP tests.

The Merit Exam will be revised in future years to align with the new Michigan high school graduation requirement.

“We should keep stable, at least this first year, the passing level by which students have been measured in the past,” said State Board Vice President John C. Austin “We will need to raise the passing scores in future years to reflect the more rigorous high school standards and higher expectations.”

The new Merit Exam mathematics test is due to be first used in Spring 2008. The new Merit Exam science test will first be used the following year. Each new test will be based on the revised High School Content Expectations adopted this year by the State Board of Education.

Students also will be able to use the MME to qualify for a Michigan Merit Award scholarship to help pay for their costs in attending a state university, community college, or a technical or trade school.

The MME is made up of the national ACT and WorkKeys tests in mathematics and reading, plus additional tests created here in Michigan in the areas of mathematics, science, and social studies.

MME testing is divided into three parts. The ACT will be administered on March 13, 2007, while the WorkKeys and Michigan mathematics tests will be administered on March 14, 2007. The Michigan science and social studies tests will be given in one session on March 14, 15, or 16. Make-up dates for these tests are scheduled for exactly two weeks later.

The MME was approved by the Michigan Legislature in late 2004 and signed into law by Governor Jennifer Granholm in early 2005.

IN OTHER ACTION: The State Board of Education approved a resolution proclaiming the week of December 4-8, 2006 as Michigan Inclusive Schools Week, in conjunction with National Inclusive Schools Week. The proclamation recognizes that each child is unique; learns differently; and learns better if teaching is tailored to their abilities and interests; and that inclusive schools and communities guide students along a personalized and supportive path, which will ensure smoother transitions and ultimately, success.