Cost Cutting Recommendations regarding MME - October 2007
The following were talking points at a meeting with Senators Jelinek and Switalski and Executive Director, Jim Ballard.
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October 11, 2007
Senators Jelinek and Switalski:
Thank you for this opportunity to advise you on means to reduce costs of state sponsored assessments. The numbers used in these recommendations come from briefings I’ve attended and or news stories. I do not have the advantage of the Department briefing numbers you are using. I believe I’ll be close.
Assessments Being Reviewed
Michigan Merit Exam (MME) (Reported cost of $77 per assessment)
Purpose:
• Monitor and evaluate academic rigor at the high school level
o Required for NCLB
o Used to determine AYP
o Report to Feds scores for ELA, math, and science
o Only one administration of test allowed for state reportable score
• Eligibility for Michigan Promise Scholarship
High School Credit Requirement Assessments – MI Merit Core/Standard (MMS)
(Reported cost - $15M)
Determination of pupil success for credit completion based on assessment performance of state developed “course credit” benchmarks. The Department has 3 years to develop assessments that may be used by districts to determine student success. Tests to be developed include: Algebra I, Algebra II, Earth Science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, English 9-10-11-12, World History, US History, Economics, and Civics.
Legislative goal: Cut significant costs without lessening the intent to increase academic rigor (MMS) or provide students with less opportunity and support for continued educational growth (MME).
The low hanging fruit
1. Only one yearly administration of MME. (Local district savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars!)
2. Eliminate state sponsored retakes of MME. Approximate savings - $6,314,000 (students times assessment costs)
a. Of the 82,000 students not qualifying for the “up-front” MI Promise money only 7,200 students had non-reportable scores thereby not qualifying for MI Promise eligibility. These students could be allowed to retake at the next yearly administration of the MME. At state expense these retakes are estimated to cost $120,000. (7,200 x .20 (estimation of number of students wanting to do retake) x’s $77.00)
3. Elimination of stand-alone social studies assessment within MME. (estimated $1,200,000)
4. Limit the “course credit” assessments to Math and English (Algebra I and Geometry are already done). Encourage MI DOE work cooperatively with other Great Lakes States, that are developing similar assessments in cooperation with ACT, to develop such assessments thereby sharing to reduce costs. Estimated savings - $10,000,000
5. Eliminate on-line ACT preparation program through MVU. Savings of $500,000
Moving up the ladder
1. USDOE approval is required of the MME. It is a given that some additional items not covered in ACT & WorkKeys will need to be assessed to achieve the needed USDOE approval. However, a fiscal cap can be put in place for this test. $22 of the MME cost is for the state developed portion of the assessment, or 29% of the cost. Yet, only 10% of the reportable AYP MME score comes from the state developed portion of the MME.
We propose that a dollar cap be placed on the state developed portion of the assessment. If 10% of the score comes from the state portion and we know the non-negotiable cost of the ACT & WorkKeys is $52 then the state developed portion is capped at a $5.50 per student expense (123,000 student times $5.50, equals $676,500). The March administration of the MME was ($77 x 123,000 = $9,471,000). Using numbers as proposed the new cost of the assessment would be $7,072,500; saving $2,398,500.
Proposed savings to this point: $20,412,500, plus a lot of local district money!
To this point the assessment is still for the student, not just the bureaucracy.
Continuing up the ladder
Now students and academic rigor are impacted!
1. Eliminate all state developed “course credit” requirements in Michigan Merit Core. Additional savings of $5,000,000
a. However, this completely destroys the equal playing field concept which in large part this legislation was based.
2. Eliminate the writing portion of the MME. This will require changing the definition of English Language Arts meaning reading and writing to become only reading. Additional savings of $1,722,000.
b. However, writing is essential to success in school and the workplace. To eliminate assessing reading and writing shouts of taking Michigan education backwards!
Respectfully Submitted:
Jim Ballard
Executive Director