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The rigor of Michigan’s standards and assessments is unclear.
Michigan’s plan is based on strong standards, as adopted by the state, though it does not provide much information about the alignment of its new assessments with the state’s standards and college and career readiness.
The state should be commended for proposing to include science and social studies as part of its assessment portfolio.
Michigan does not provide a state assessment in mathematics in Arabic.
While the second most common language in the state after English is Arabic, the state instead intends to provide on-the-spot Arabic translations for students taking the mathematics assessment. It is unclear if this is an effective strategy or if it could produce variation in assessment delivery.
Michigan may consider continuing to engage stakeholders as the state considers adoption/improvement of future assessments. Lastly, Michigan should strengthen its plan by ensuring that it has a process in place to meet the 1 percent cap on alternate assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
