The new examination includes the ACT, the ACT Writing Test, two WorkKeys tests (Reading for Information and Applied Mathematics), and Michigan assessments in mathematics, science, social studies, and persuasive writing. The WorkKeys part of the MME connects work skills, training, and testing to improve students’ education and job opportunities.

The MME replaces the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) high school examination, which had been used since 1970. First administered to all high school juniors in the state in March, the MME is offered at no cost to Michigan students. It serves as an eleventh-grade assessment. The ACT test part of the MME is used in college admissions. Colleges and universities will accept the ACT scores as part of their admission requirements, eliminating the need for students to separately take both a state test and the ACT.

“I think the first year has been very successful. We are very satisfied with the direction we’re going,” said Mike Flanagan, Michigan’s state superintendent of public instruction. “All the kids in the state are discovering whether they are academically ready to go to college, and they wouldn’t have had this understanding without the MME.”

“We were really excited by the news coming from our members that the participation rates were so high,” said Jim Ballard, executive director, Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. “In the past, students have had to retake the test several times for the state to get to 95 percent participation. This year, we had that many take the MME on the first day.”

The MME is doing what was intended, say the officials. Students who had not considered college are changing their minds as they see their scores. The test allows students to identify—and address—their academic deficiencies.

“Typically, only middle-class and upper-class students would take a college entrance exam and most of them would go to college. Since all students now take the MME, more are exposed to the college opportunity,” said Flanagan.

“Because we involved the entire junior class, students who would never have attempted the ACT did so with successful results,” said Jennifer Hammond, principal at Grand Blanc High School. She said her school tested more than 500 students. “I was impressed with the students’ attitudes toward the test. They took it seriously and prepared for it in advance. I was also impressed with how well our students performed.”

Ballard agreed. “Principals have told me their kids never considered college a possibility until now. Thanks to the ACT and WorkKeys, there have been significant increases in the number of students seeking college information and planning to enroll next fall. They are also noticing that more of their staff want to improve instruction in their classrooms so students perform better on the ACT.”

Hammond confirmed this point. “The MME has prompted our staff to take a closer look at aligning the curriculum for grades six through twelve and creating more rigorous course work in all our classes. The MME has produced an atmosphere of opportunities for all students,” she said.

The MME is expected to become a vital tool in a state that has historically been economically dependent on the auto industry. High school graduates used to be able to get jobs on the line, but now auto industry employees must have skills in mathematics and science. “These are not just ‘brawn’ jobs anymore,” said Flanagan. “Auto manufacturers won’t hire people without at least a community college degree to work on their line.”

A total of 122,820 members of the class of 2008 took the MME, earning an average composite score of 19. “For a year in which we got everyone involved, that’s a good score,” said Flanagan. “Our new high school requirements—including more mathematics and science courses—just kicked in this year, too, so I’m confident that as more kids are exposed to the rigorous content and our new requirements, that score will move up.”

Flanagan and Ballard say the process overall went well.

“It’s a credit to ACT, our department, and the high schools that we had very few logistical problems. Those we did have were manageable,” said Flanagan. “We had a different set of protocols that were tough to get into place for all high schools, but overall things went very smoothly. The Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals is to be commended for its work in helping pull this together.”

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