Michigan’s Department of Education to pay for certain standardized tests

The state is launching a pilot program that’ll cover the costs of some standardized tests over the next two years. The Michigan Department of Education hopes the data from the tests will help public schools meet tougher state mandates.

About two-thirds of Michigan’s 8th and 10th graders already take the pre-ACT exams. But individual districts have to pay for them. The exams line up with state standards for graduating high school. 

These assessments assist districts in measuring and monitoring student progress,” said Jan Ellis, a Michigan Department of Education spokeswoman. “The districts have been asking for help in providing these assessments for several years,” Ellis said.

Ellis says the department expects to shell out up to $3 million over the next two years to pay for the tests. It's unclear if the state will be able to continue funding the tests after the 2 year pilot. 

She says the test score data should help schools meet tougher graduation requirements and could help with teacher evaluations.