Upcoming State Testing

Parents & Guardians of 8th, 9th, & 10th Grade Students:

As Maple Valley Jr./Sr. High returns from Spring Break, students in grades 8th, 9th, and 10th will participate in the PSAT on April 12th. Below you will find important information regarding this upcoming assessment.

College Board PSAT® Evidence-Based Reading & Writing and Math (Wednesday, April 12th) - The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that’s accepted at all U.S. colleges. Before taking this test in the 11th grade, students participate in the Preliminary SAT (PSAT). Specifically, 8th graders will participate in the PSAT 8/9, Freshmen will participate in the PSAT 8/9, and Sophomores will participate in the PSAT 10. On this test, students will be measured in reading, math, and writing skills that they learned in high school. This test is also important for school and district accountability purposes. Below is important information regarding the PSAT:

• The PSAT will begin at 7:55 on Wednesday, April 12th. Once school-wide testing has begun, late students are not permitted to begin their test. As a result, students must be on time to participate in the test. Please speak with your child about the importance of being on time for this test, particularly if they drive themselves to school.
• No cell phones or electronic devices are allowed during testing. Students are to keep these devices in their lockers.
• Before testing, students in 10th grade will have the opportunity to participate in the Student Search Service through SAT. Student Search Service connects students with colleges and scholarship organizations by sharing their information with those participating organizations. This also serves to match your child with colleges and universities that match their academic interests. Participation in the Student Search Service requires written parent consent. On Monday, April 3rd, students will be bringing home a consent form to participate in this pre-administration activity. Please look for this form, sign it, and have your child return it by Thursday, April 6th. Participation in the Student Search Service has no effect on participation in the PSAT 10. All 10th graders, regardless of Student Search Service, will participate in the PSAT 10 test on April 12th. 
• Students will also bring home a Student Guide for the PSAT, which will contain other important information for the upcoming assessment.
• You can find more information regarding the PSAT 10 at the College Board’s website: 
  • Parent's Guides to the PSAT 10
  • Parents Guide to the PSAT 8/9
• The PSAT can benefit your child in the following ways:
  • It identifies their academic strengths and weaknesses early in high school when there's plenty of time to improve before college.
  • It lets them know which Advanced Placement (AP) courses they're most likely to do well in.
  • It's a great way to practice for the PSAT/NMSQT in 11th grade, which qualifies them for the National Merit Scholarship Program and a chance to win recognition and money for college.
  • When they take the PSAT 10, your child can opt-in to Student Search Service and connect to over $300 million in scholarships. Learn more about scholarships.
  • It's a great way to practice for the SAT, a test that's an important part of college applications.
  • Your child can use their PSAT 10 score for a free, personalized SAT practice plan through Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy®.

M-STEP Science and Social Studies (Monday, April 17th) 8th Grade Only- 8th grader students will be participating in the M-Step assessments for Science and Social Studies. Your 8th grader will be familiar with the M-Step as this assessment is given in grades 3-8. 8th graders will only be participating in the Science and Social Studies portion of the M-Step, not Reading or Math.

• No cell phones or electronic devices during the test.
• You can find more information regarding the M-Step on the State of Michigan's Website

Parents & Guardians of 11th Grade Students:

As Maple Valley Jr./Sr. High returns from Spring Break, there are a few important reminders for the month of April. Below you will find important information specific to JUNIORS.

April is a busy month for Juniors as the students will be taking part in important end-of-year state assessments known as the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). This suite of exams is made up of three separate assessments, including College Board SAT® with Essay Evidence-Based Reading & Writing and Math,  ACT® WorkKeys® job skills assessment Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents, and  M-STEP Science and Social Studies. Participation in these assessments is critical as completion of the MME is a Maple Valley requirement for graduation.

• College Board SAT® with Essay Evidence-Based Reading & Writing and Math (Wednesday, April 12th) - The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that’s accepted at all U.S. colleges. On this test, students will be measured in reading, math, and writing skills that they learned in high school. This test is also important for school and district accountability purposes. Below is important information regarding the SAT:
  • The SAT will begin at 7:55 on Wednesday, April 12th. Once school-wide testing has begun, late students are not permitted to begin their test. As a result, students must be on time to participate in the test. Please speak with your child about the importance of being on time for this test, particularly if they drive themselves to school.
  • No cell phones or electronic devices are allowed during testing. Students are to keep these devices in their lockers.
  • Before testing, Juniors will have the opportunity to participate in the Student Search Service through SAT. Student Search Service connects students with colleges and scholarship organizations by sharing their information with those participating organizations. This also serves to match your child with colleges and universities that match their academic interests. Participation in the Student Search Service requires written parent consent. On Monday, April 3rd, students will bring home a consent form to participate in this pre-administration activity. Please look for this form, sign it, and have your child return it by Thursday, April 6th. Participation in the Student Search Service has no effect on participation in the SAT. All students, regardless of Student Search Service, will participate in the SAT on April 12th. 
  • Students will also bring home a Student Guide for the SAT, containing other important information for the upcoming assessment.
  • You can find more information regarding the SAT at the College Board’s website: Parents Guides to the SAT
• ACT® WorkKeys® job skills assessment Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents (Thursday, April 13th) - The ACT WorkKeys assessment measures foundational skills required for success in the workplace, and helps measure the workplace skills that can affect job performance. Individuals who successfully complete the three WorkKeys assessments—Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents—earn the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate® (WorkKeysNCRC®), a valuable credential for students and job seekers seeking to verify foundational workplace skills.
  • The ACT WorkKeys will begin at 7:55 on Thursday, April 13th. As with the SAT, once school-wide testing has begun, late students are not permitted to begin their test. As a result, students must be on time to participate in the test.
  • No cell phones or electronic devices during the test.
  • You can find more information regarding the WorkKeys assessment on ACT’s website.
• M-STEP Science and Social Studies (Monday, April 17th) - Rounding out the MME suite of assessments is the M-Step assessments for Science and Social Studies. Your Junior will be familiar with the M-Step as this assessment is given in grades 3-8. Juniors will only be participating in the Science and Social Studies portion of the M-Step, not Reading or Math.
  • No cell phones or electronic devices during the test.
  • You can find more information regarding the M-Step on the State of Michigan's Website

Please take the time to speak with your child about the importance of these upcoming assessments. Stress the importance of good sleep the night before each test and a healthy breakfast the morning of the test. Thank you for your support!

Joel Smith Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment	Tim Goggins Maple Valley Jr./Sr. High School Principal