LANSING — Today, the state House of Representatives passed House Bill 4162 to eliminate the requirement for students to take the ACT WorkKeys Test, a workforce readiness standardized assessment, as part of the Michigan Merit Examination (MME). If signed by the governor, this would free up millions of dollars in school aid funding. In response, state Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) issued the following statement:

“As an educator, I have seen firsthand how excessive and often unnecessary mandatory tests dictate our curriculum and dominate our students’ time. Students wishing to explore opportunities in skilled trade professions will still be allowed to take the exam without the requirement, but removing it enables us to shorten mandatory testing times and save millions of dollars spent annually on administering it. That money could be better spent advancing our students’ education by shrinking our class sizes, providing updated learning materials, and improving the condition of our schools. Requiring our already under-funded schools to force yet another exam on our over-tested students is not in anyone’s best interest.”

 

###