Thursday, May 8, 2008

How to Take Old MEAP Tests for Practice

Students who will be entering 6th-8th grade this September click here to go directly to the tests for last year.

In Michigan, we take the MEAP test (
Michigan Educational Assessment Program) every October which assesses the state standards for the previous year's grade level content expectations. For example, 4th graders take a test on everything they were supposed to master in 3rd grade. Do you know you can get access to these state-wide high stakes tests? On the Michigan Department of Education's website they have the actual MEAP Tests that were administered for the last 8 years for all the grades! Here is how to access them:

1.Go to the google.com search engine and type in "Michigan MEAP Released Items." Next, click on the first result that comes up.
Or if that doesn't work try this:

a) Go to the Michigan Department of Education's website at http://www.mi.gov/mde/
b) Click on "School Assessment and Accountability" on the left margin
c) Click on the "Michigan Educational Assessment Program"
on the left margin
d) Click on "Released Items" on the left margin

2.No matter which method you used above, next click on the "Elementary link" (they also have links for the Middle and High School tests).


3. Now you will see a list of tests by grades and year.
Choose the test you want and click on the link to download the pdf file. When you click on the link, Acrobat or Adobe should download and open the file for you -- most computers already have one of these programs installed.

4. Then you can print the file and give to your child to practice. They are long tests so you can have them do just couple sections a day.

So which tests should you use? If my child just completed the 4th grade this year I would do the Math and Language Arts from 2006 (except for the Reading because the stories are not accessible due to copyright laws). This was the exact test they took this past October that assessed everything they learned from 3rd grade. I would make sure they have mastered it all and if they are still are having trouble I would go back to 2005-1998 versions
for 4th grade for some more practice. Then I would have my child take the 2006 5th grade Math, Language Arts, and Science (5th grade is the first year they take the science test and it is a tough one). This will be very similar to the next test they will be taking this October in 5th grade which assesses everything they learned in 4th grade. Again, if they are having trouble go back through 2005-1998 for some other versions from 5th grade for more practice.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

THANKS A MILLION! Your directions have saved me! I am a BRAND new teacher, hired on Tuesday. I start on Monday the 15th with students with just 2 weeks left in our prep. window. I spent hours surfing MDE's website looking for test prep. activities and you led me their instantly.