LANSING (AP) — The Michigan Department of Education is offering a new, voluntary tool for school districts to gauge whether students are on track for college and careers.

The department is funding a two-year pilot project that will offer free tests to school districts. The assessments are geared to eighth and 10th graders.

The tests align to the ACT college entrance exam component of the Michigan Merit Exam.

The pilot program is voluntary. The scores from the pilot tests can’t be used for federal or state accountability or ranking purposes. But they could provide information for schools to monitor how much progress their students are making toward preparing for college and careers.

The education department will provide details about how schools can participate in early January.