Some state lawmakers say the Legislature needs to approve a new standardized test to replace the MEAP – and fast.
As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports, they say it may already be too late to implement one that meets the state’s goals.
It’s been three years since state education officials decided to go with a computer-based test called Smarter Balanced – which is aligned with the state’s new Common Core standards. But lawmakers are now debating whether that’s the right assessment for students to take.
State Representative Bill Rogers chairs the committee that sets the House’s budget priorities for education. He says the debate has dragged on so long that there may not be enough time to implement any test the way they’d like to.
“Honestly, I would have thought that this was already going to be taken care of beforehand,” he says. “The reality is it isn’t. And that’s why we’re trying to push forward.”
The Department of Education says Smarter Balanced will be ready to go by next spring. It says going back to the MEAP test is not an option.