Michigan Considers Scrapping Its High School Test

Michigan’s high school achievement test, in place since 1978, could be on its way out to make way for a set of new tests that would measure students’ college readiness.

The state Senate voted overwhelmingly Nov. 10 to approve a five-bill package that would replace the Michigan Educational Assessment Program, or MEAP, high school test. A commission appointed by Lt. Gov. John D. Cherry will make a similar recommendation to Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, a Democrat, in a report to be released next month.

Sen. Wayne Kuipers, the chairman of the Senate education committee, who is listed as a sponsor on all five bills, said in an interview that the new test would be put in place in spring 2007, giving the state department of education ample time to align it with state standards. Called the Michigan Merit Examination, it could include the ACT college-entrance test and ACT WorkKeys, a test of workplace skills, and would take only six hours, compared with the 11 hours students must undergo...