2023 State Test Scores Improve in Many Grades in Math, Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts

LANSING – Test scores for the spring 2023 M-STEP state assessments increased in all tested grades in science and social studies; in six of the seven tested grades in math; and three grades in English language arts (ELA), the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) reported today.

These data follow the 2022 statewide test results where a majority of Michigan school districts showed improvement over the previous year’s results.

“We continue to be encouraged by the gradual improvements in student achievement,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. “Though the 2022-23 school year was far from normal, given persistent staffing challenges and residual adverse impact of the pandemic, it was the most stable school year of the last four. Michigan’s educators worked hard to help students continue to rebound and to increase their learning.”

Of the 20 statewide assessments administered to students in spring 2023, scores increased in 15 of the assessments, decreased in four, and remained the same in one.

State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh said, “Michigan’s students and educators are working hard to emerge from the disruption of the pandemic, and it’s making a difference. We need to continue to invest in our schools and educators and provide the supports needed to help our kids continue to grow academically, socially, and personally.”

With 96.8 percent of Michigan students participating in the state assessments this spring, proficiency among all students in grades 3–7 taking the mathematics assessment increased from 33.3 percent in 2022, to 34.7 percent in 2023, with students in grade 5 showing the biggest gain of 1.9 percentage points.

Student proficiency rates on the science assessments increased in all grades: grades 5, 8 and 11. Grade 5 proficiency increased to 38.9 percent from 38.2 percent in 2022; Grade 8 proficiency increased to 37.4 percent from 36.3 percent in 2022; and Grade 11 proficiency increased to 39.0 percent from 38.0 percent in 2022.

Student proficiency rates in social studies increased in all grades: grades 5, 8 and 11. Grade 5 proficiency increased to 18.6 percent from 15.5 percent in 2022; Grade 8 proficiency increased to 26.7 percent from 26.3 percent in 2022; and Grade 11 proficiency increased to 36.1 percent from 35.9 percent in 2022.

Student proficiency rates in ELA increased in grades 4, 5, and 11, remained the same in grade 8, and decreased in grades 3, 6, and 7. In both 2022 and 2023, 40.7 percent of students in grades 3-7 tested at the proficient level or above.

“This past year’s third graders were perhaps the most adversely affected of any age cohort as they had pandemic-influenced school years during grades kindergarten through second grade, a challenge that was particularly noticeable in reading,” Dr. Rice said. “Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade are pivotal in early literacy efforts, which may help explain the slight decline in the third grade ELA proficiency rate.”

2023 M-STEP Results

*Grade 8 students take the PSAT 8/9 for math and ELA, while students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 take   the M-STEP.

**Grade 11 students take the SAT for math and ELA.

Districts that identified themselves as having 100% remote learning for almost all of the 2020-21 school year tended to have more challenged populations pre-pandemic and are still lagging behind districts that instructed primarily in person in the 2020-21 school year. However, these formerly remote districts are showing greater gains in almost all grade levels in English language arts.

2020-21 REMOTE AND IN-PERSON DISTRICTS PROFICIENCY RATES

    *Districts that reported 100% remote learning for virtually the entire 2020-21 school year.

Dr. Rice noted, “It continues to be clear that children who were remote for all or most of the 2020-21 school year by virtue of local policy decisions, whether because of teacher shortage or health concerns or a combination of the two, were adversely affected academically, particularly if the children were in grades kindergarten through two.

“Some of our kids need more time and more supports—more in school, more in tutoring, more in mentoring, more after school, more during the summer.” Dr. Rice said. “We need to lean in and help children who have been adversely affected, and to help them with focused learning strategies.”

The state school aid budget enacted earlier this summer will provide funding and supports to improve literacy achievement. The Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget includes $140 million to address district literacy and $150 million for the governor’s MI Kids Back on Track for tutoring for children who are below grade level in reading or math, $14 million over four years for 10 family engagement centers across the state, and $2 million for early literacy hubs at the family engagement centers to support early literacy for children birth to fifth grade.

Michigan also has more than 6,000 educators who are taking or are signed up for LETRS science of literacy training, with a greater expansion planned for the future.

“We need to narrow and deepen our efforts to improve student achievement for children who are struggling the most, as well as our professional development for those who educate our children and particularly our most vulnerable youngsters,” Dr. Rice said.

Over the past two years, the state invested more to expand pre-school.

“An additional year of education for children, particularly at a young age, is a tremendous benefit to children’s early reading, early math, and social skills development,” said Dr. Rice.

The FY22 supplemental and the FY23 budget added $202 million in total to help expand the state’s nationally recognized Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) pre-school. The FY24 budget added $72.3 million and the FY23 supplemental included flexibilities in local and intermediate school districts’ programs to extend from four to five instructional days per week and from 30 to 36 instructional weeks per year, recommendations put forward by MDE to help address student and parent needs.