Study Guide
Overview of the Testing Program
Michigan is committed to maintaining a teaching force capable of enhancing student achievement and meeting the demands and expectations of the dynamic and diverse society of the state. Section 1531 of Public Act 451 (1976), as amended by Public Act 267 (1986), Public Act 282 (1992), and Public Act 289 (1995), mandates a testing program as part of Michigan's teacher certification requirements. The purpose of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) program is to help the state meet its goal of ensuring that all teacher candidates seeking certification in Michigan have the necessary professional readiness and pedagogical content knowledge to serve in Michigan schools.
Test Development Process
Creating tests for the MTTC program is a complex, ongoing process. The major steps in the process are outlined below.
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Develop the Test Objectives | The content of each test is developed and documented in the test objectives. Test objectives are organized into groups known as "subareas" that define the major content areas of the test. Each subarea consists of objectives that are accompanied by descriptive statements that further elaborate the content of the test objective. During preparation of the test objectives, key state and national documents and Michigan educators are consulted. Committees of Michigan educators review the test objectives and make revisions, as necessary, to ensure that the test objectives are accurate, free of bias, job related, representative of the diversity of the state, and consistent with the purposes of the program. |
| Validate Test Content | A content validation survey is conducted, using randomly sampled practicing Michigan K–12 educators and teacher preparation program faculty to ensure that the test objectives reflect the knowledge and skills considered to be important for performing the job of an educator in Michigan. |
| Develop Test Questions | Test questions are developed to assess the content defined by the test objectives. Committees of Michigan educators are convened to review and approve the test questions. Test questions are field-tested in Michigan. |
| Set Passing Scores | A committee of Michigan educators is convened following the first test administration of each field undergoing development to recommend the passing score. |
Characteristics of the Tests
The MTTC program is designed to assess the pedagogical content knowledge needed to begin teaching in Michigan.
All tests in the MTTC program are criterion referenced; that is, they are designed to measure a candidate's knowledge in relation to an established standard of competence (criterion) rather than in relation to the performance of other candidates. The explicit purpose of these tests is to help identify those candidates who have demonstrated the level of professional readiness and pedagogical content knowledge necessary to perform effectively in their fields of specialization.
All MTTC tests include multiple-choice questions. An examinee's score is based on the total number of test questions answered correctly.
The World Language tests (including Spanish, French, German, Chinese [Mandarin], Arabic [Modern Standard], and Japanese) include both multiple-choice questions and one or more written constructed-response assignments.