Middle School Social Studies SAC

February 21, 2018

● Welcome

M-Step SST Updates from Michigan School Testing Conference

Scott Koenig MDE (Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability)
● Not anticipated ​at this moment​ that there will be significant changes at grade levels for Social Studies
M-Step
● C3 standards are being used to help the item writing process (inquiry based - item stems and
questioning processes)
● Sample items that are released are annual updates. Helpful for teachers to focus on the technology
components of the items so that students are comfortable with them.
● Focus on Dimension 3​ - Gathering and evaluating sources and developing claims
○ Questions that ask students to use evidence (image or text pieces)

● For questions like this, it is all or

nothing. If a student doesn’t get all answers in the correct space the entire question is wrong. (True of
any question that requires students to select more than one answer.)
Content Standards- An Update to the Update
● Final draft of updated standards is currently being developed.

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● Not a guarantee, but hopeful these will be passed this summer
Resources
● Performance Assessments of Social Studies Teaching
○ Passtmoodle.wmisd.org
● Geographic Inquiry and New Temporal Sequencing in Social Studies (GIANTS)
○ ss.oaisd.org
● Stanford history Education Group
○ https://sheg.stanford.edu/
■ Examples of literacy in the disciplines specific to social studies
 ● Transition to PSAT 8 in spring of 2019
SAT/PSAT Update - PSAT Grade 8 - Getting Ready from Michigan School Testing Conference:
Ted Gardella (College Board), Andy Middlestead (MDE)

PSAT 8 Content:
 ● The Writing and Language Test puts students in the active role of an editor who is improving a written
passage. Most questions ask students to decide which, if any, of the three alternatives to an underlined
part of a passage most improves it.
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● 8th Grade purchase​ for 2018-19 School Year

○ Textbook
○ 7 year licenses (online/hybrid)
○ 3 hrs of professional development on materials
● Impact of purchase on instructional map and plans for instruction

● Review of midyear assessment data

● Review of end of year assessment data - Assessment updates

● Reminder​: Legislation regarding genocide instruction

○ Social studies curriculum for grades 8-12 must include age- and grade-appropriate instruction
about genocide, including, but not limited to, the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide
○ Recommends a combined total of 6 hours of instruction during grades 8-12

● Continued work on course assessments

○ Primary focus is on any necessary updates or revisions to end of year assessments
■ Review end of year assessment data
■ Review end of year assessment questions as needed
○ After completing end of year assessment revisions, may move on to review midyear
assessment data

● End of day wrap up