MMLA Mathematics Assessments

Client: The Michigan Mathematics Leadership Academy, a collaboration of the Michigan Mathematics and Science Centers Network, Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the Michigan Department of Education.

Purpose: To allow classroom teachers of grades K-8 in Michigan to browse a collection of assessment items (multiple choice questions, teacher prompts, open-ended essay questions) and construct a customized test with a report of the Michigan grade level content expectations assessed.

When: 2005 to 2006

Link: MMLA Mathematics Assessments site

Orbro worked with the MMLA task force to build this website for K-8 teachers in Michigan. On the website, teachers can browse the assessment items by grade level, strand, and topic, or they can jump straight to them by grade level content expectation (GLCE) code. Once the teacher is done selecting assessment items, he or she can "check out" and generate several PDF documents that include a student test, an answer key, and an analysis of GLCEs covered.

Orbro developed a password-protected area of the website used by the MMLA task force to upload formatted RTF files of assessment items keyed to specific GLCEs and to manage the current online collection of assessments. In this way, the MMLA can continue to keep the assessment items current and improve them as errors are discovered without additional programming effort.

MCTM GLCE Clarifying Documents

Client: The Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics, in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education and the Michigan Mathematics and Science Centers Network.

Purpose: The MCTM, MDE, and MCSN collaborated to develop several clarifying documents for Michigan's grade level content expectations in mathematics. These documents were made available with several extra online resources to math teachers in Michigan through membership in the MCTM.

When: 2006

Link: MCTM Clarifying Document Site (Authentication required)

Orbro developed this website for the MCTM to achieve three specific objectives:

• To distribute the clarifying documents for Michigan's new grade level content expectations (GLCE) in mathematics.
• To enable MCTM committee members to easily update and maintain the collection of clarifying documents without additional programming work from Orbro.
• To interact with MCTM's existing members-only area to add value to MCTM membership.

Orbro developed the public "front end" for the website to be used by MCTM members accessing the data that divided the site content into four areas: the clarifying documents, grade level vocabulary lists, an online glossary, and grade level maps providing a graphical layout of Michigan's GLCEs. The front end included cross-references between these areas as appropriate, a browse and search interface for retrieving the clarifying documents, and a site history browser. Orbro also developed an administrative "back end" for the website to be used by MCTM committee members to upload updated clarifying documents, vocabulary lists, and glossary definitions. The site was unveiled at the 2006 MCTM annual conference in Okemos, Michigan.