M-STEP Standards Alignment 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which phrase BEST defines 'Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK)' as it relates to M-STEP standard alignment?
- A framework describing the cognitive complexity required by a task or standard (Correct answer)
- A scoring guide for grading student essays
- A list of approved textbooks for Michigan classrooms
- A district-level scheduling tool for test administration
Correct answer: A framework describing the cognitive complexity required by a task or standard
Webb's DOK is a framework that categorizes the depth of thinking required—from recall (DOK 1) to extended thinking (DOK 4)—used to align assessments to standards.
Question 2: A standard requiring students to 'determine the central idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details' is BEST classified at which DOK level?
- DOK 2 – Skill and Concept (Correct answer)
- DOK 1 – Recall
- DOK 3 – Strategic Thinking
- DOK 4 – Extended Thinking
Correct answer: DOK 2 – Skill and Concept
Identifying central idea and explaining supporting details requires processing beyond recall but does not yet demand the multi-step reasoning of DOK 3.
Question 3: Michigan's ELA standard W.5.1 requires students to write opinion pieces with logically ordered reasons and evidence. Which college-and-career readiness anchor standard does this trace back to?
- Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence (Correct answer)
- Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task
- Use technology to produce and publish writing
- Conduct short research projects to build knowledge
Correct answer: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
W.5.1 is a grade-specific version of anchor standard Writing #1, which focuses on argument writing with evidence.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of 'horizontal alignment' in curriculum planning?
- Math and science teachers at the same grade level coordinate vocabulary around data analysis (Correct answer)
- A 4th-grade teacher ensures lessons build on 3rd-grade standards
- The state updates 8th-grade standards to prepare students for high school
- A school adopts a new textbook series across all grade levels
Correct answer: Math and science teachers at the same grade level coordinate vocabulary around data analysis
Horizontal alignment occurs when teachers at the same grade level coordinate content and skills across different subject areas.
Question 5: The M-STEP score report shows a student is 'Partially Proficient' in 'Number and Operations.' What does this MOST directly indicate?
- The student has not fully met grade-level standards in that domain (Correct answer)
- The student failed the entire math section
- The student exceeded expectations in computation
- The student needs to repeat the grade
Correct answer: The student has not fully met grade-level standards in that domain
Partially Proficient means the student demonstrated some, but not all, of the skills expected by grade-level standards in that domain.
Question 6: Which Michigan high school assessment replaces M-STEP in 11th grade?
- SAT with Essay (Michigan Merit Exam) (Correct answer)
- ACT Aspire
- PSAT 10
- Advanced Placement exams
Correct answer: SAT with Essay (Michigan Merit Exam)
Michigan administers the SAT (as part of the Michigan Merit Exam) to 11th-graders instead of M-STEP, assessing college readiness aligned to state standards.
Question 7: A teacher reviews an M-STEP item and notes it asks students to synthesize information from three texts to write an explanatory essay. This MOST LIKELY represents which DOK level?
- DOK 4 – Extended Thinking (Correct answer)
- DOK 1 – Recall
- DOK 2 – Skill and Concept
- DOK 3 – Strategic Thinking
Correct answer: DOK 4 – Extended Thinking
Synthesizing across multiple texts to produce an extended written response requires sustained higher-order thinking, characteristic of DOK 4.
M-STEP Standards Alignment 5
Which phrase BEST defines 'Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK)' as it relates to M-STEP standard alignment?