Students are back from Spring break and today is the first day of M-STEP testing. Last year at least half of students didn't meet proficiency standards in science, math, reading and social studies. The Department of Education is hoping for a turn around this year.
There will be fewer multiple choice questions this time around, but expect to see more problem solving and critical thinking questions.
Andrew Middlestead from the Department of Education said most students are expected to spend anywhere from four to eight hours on the test.
"The length of the assessment depends on what grade the student is in. For example, for students that might be in 3rd grade that are only having assessments in math, and language arts, their assessment will be on the shorter end," he said.
The time is broken up so the students won't spend the whole day testing, but parents say the test is stressful for kids because everyone learns at a different pace. However, the M-STEP has specialized the questions based on whether or not the student answered the previous question correctly.
The state said the test is designed to evaluate schools and teachers more than the students.
