MDE just awarded contracts to NWEA and DRC to provide benchmark assessments to schools next year
This follows what the state has been communicating about its assessment plan for the last few years.
Below is the excerpt from the recent spotlight
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) Procurement office has completed an evaluation of Administration, Scoring and Reporting of Statewide Benchmark Assessment proposals for the Michigan Department of Education. DTMB’s Procurement office has recommended an award to Data Recognition Corporation
(DRC) and the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), pending State Administrative Board approval and contract agreement. These two vendors are the only bidders that met the minimum requirements of technical review for reward consideration.
The two vendors are slated to provide three different benchmark options from which schools can choose.
• NWEA Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment
• DRC BEACON benchmark assessment
• DRC Smarter Balanced Interim Comprehensive and Block assessment.
These tools will focus on mathematics and English language arts in grades 3-8 and pending final processes will be available in the fall of 2018. Look for additional information in future issues of the Spotlight as plans begin to be built out.