Edsel Ford High School

Letter from the principal

April 6, 2021

Greetings:

Beginning Tuesday, April 13th, 2021 Edsel Ford High School, and all other high schools in Michigan, will be administering the SAT, PSAT, Work Keys & M-Step assessment to all high school students.  The following is the 2021 testing schedule for all 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students.

Tuesday, April 13th – 11th Grade SAT Testing

Wednesday, April 14th- 11th Grade WorkKeys Testing AM / PSAT 9th grade PM

Thursday, April 15th- 11th Grade MSTEP AM /PSAT 10th grade PM

What are these tests for?

SAT- The SAT is an admission test accepted by all U.S. colleges through the College Board.  The College Board has programs to encourage all students to take advantage of higher education.  The State of Michigan also uses this one-time test to rank our students against other students in the State.  This measurement  determines if Edsel Ford High School has made progress in reducing gaps in achievement. These scores are reported on the student’s transcripts that universities and colleges review.  

PSAT- The PSAT test is for 9th and 10th grade students to prepare them for the SAT test which is taken during the 11th grade.  This test is a major criterion for college admissions.  This test will give students feedback on their strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study and success.  A real advantage is that when students get their PSAT scores- they can get an Individual KHAN Academy Plan- which is a customized SAT study plan based on their PSAT test performance.

Any 10th grader who is interested in the Henry Ford Collegiate Academy scholarship, must take the PSAT 10.

WorkKeys- The WorkKeys assessment measures essential workplace skills and helps focus on building career pathways.  The tests also measure students’ skills and how they stack up to what employers expect from them in the workforce. 

M-Step– The M-Step is an assessment that will be used by the State of Michigan to assess where our students rank in reference to their proficiency in science and social studies. The State of Michigan also uses this one-time test to rank our students against other students in the State and as a measurement to determine if Edsel Ford High School has made progress in reducing gaps in achievement. These scores are reported on the student’s transcripts that universities and colleges review. 

It is crucial that our students come to school prepared, on time and on task to be successful on these exams.  Moreover, it is important that our students continue to demonstrate to the entire State of Michigan that they are the finest students in the state. All students enrolled in Dearborn Schools are required to take these assessments.  The State of Michigan calls for all students to take these standardized assessments and they are a required part of state and federal accountability.  Students in our Virtual Learning Program will also be attending on the above dates.  All building staff will be reporting on these days so that we may maintain small numbers in each of our testing rooms.  For 11th graders, the assessments are part of the Michigan Merit Examinations and are a Dearborn graduation requirement. This includes SAT, Workkeys and MStep. Students should bring their own calculator for testing if possible.

Please keep in mind these key facts regarding testing

  • No cell phones or electronic devices – These items are NOT permitted in the testing rooms at any time, even if powered off.  Being in possession of these items in the test room will result in an invalidation of the test. They will not be allowed in the hallways between tests or on breaks.
  • Photo Identification – Students must show either their school ID or a driver’s license when they check in.  If they do not have an ID, let us know immediately prior to testing.
  • Timed Tests – All the tests are timed so students must be to school on time.  We encourage all students to arrive by 7:15 am or earlier on the testing days.
  • No food, drink or other unnecessary items in the test rooms – Students should plan to only bring #2 pencils and their photo ID.

Students must listen and follow all directions during testing.   Students must successfully complete all three days of testing including the M-Step test in order to receive their diploma from Dearborn Public Schools. Successfully completing means they must put forth honest effort and cannot just bubble in answers and cannot commit any testing violations.

To accommodate the testing, we will have a revised school schedule on April 13th, 14th and 15th.  Also, please see the Table on the last page as an additional piece of information. 

The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday- April 13th

  • 7:40 -12:40pm SAT TESTING  (All Juniors and Seniors needing to test)
  •  9th, 10th and 12th not testing- Asynchronous Work will be assigned

Wednesday- April 14th

  • 8:00-11:15am Juniors and Seniors needing to take the WorkKeys test
  • 10th and 12th not testing – Asynchronous Work will be assigned
  • 11:30-2:55  Freshman take the PSAT 9th Grade Test

Thursday, April 15th  

  • 8:00-11:15am Juniors and Seniors needing to test take the M-Step test
  • 9th, 10th not testing – Asynchronous Work will be assigned 
  • 11:30-2:55pm Sophomores take the PSAT 10th Grade Test

Bus Transportation Plan:

On Tuesday, April 13th 

No MBCC, or DCMST Buses- 

All Juniors and Seniors that need to test will be picked up 20 minutes earlier than their normal AM pick up times.  Buses will take them home after 12:40 pm.

Wednesday, April 14th 

No MBCC, DCMST Buses all day

All Juniors and Seniors that need to test will be picked up at their normal AM pick up times.  Buses will take them home after 11:15. 

Freshman will be picked up 3 hours later than the usual pick-up time and return home after 2:55 dismissal

Freshman will arrive at EF around 11am and will be socially distanced in the cafeteria until the PSAT test begins.

Thursday, April 15th

No MBCC or DCMST in the AM

All Juniors and Seniors that need to test will be picked up at their normal AM times.  Buses will take them home after 11:15am.

Sophomores will be picked up 3 hours later than usual pick-up time and return home after 2:55 dismissal

Sophomores will arrive at EF around 11am and be socially distanced in the cafeteria until the PSAT test begins.


Additional Daily Schedule Breakdown Chart for Explanation:

Tuesday 4/13/2021Wednesday 4/14/2021Thursday 4/15/2021

11th Graders
      7:40-12:40SAT plus EssayDismissal at 12:40
8:00-11:15 ACT WorkKeysDismissal at 11:15 

8:00-11:15 M-STEP Science & SSDismissal at 11:15

12th Graders 

Asynchronous work will be assigned   

Asynchronous work will be assigned 

Asynchronous work will be assigned 

10th Graders
Asynchronous work will be assignedAsynchronous work will be assigned
No classes in the morning11:30-2:55 PSAT 10Dismissal at 2:55

9th Graders

Asynchronous work will be assigned 

No classes in the morning11:30-2:55 PSAT 9Dismissal at 2:55

Asynchronous work will be assigned

Let’s go Thunderbirds! Once again – it’s Edsel’s time to shine!

Principal Casebolt