Dive Brief:
- Indiana teachers saw a number of slow and freezing computers during practice tests last week, leading to fears that last year's testing glitches may once again disrupt the annual ISTEP test Monday.
- Last spring, a reported 80,000 Indiana students had their tests interrupted because of CTB/McGraw Hill server issues.
- CTB/McGraw-Hill had a similar issue last week with Oklahoma testing; while testing has since resumed, it was suspended for a period of time.
Dive Insight:
CTB/McGraw-Hill spokesman Brian Belardi said Indiana's practice test issues were a result of additional system security measures it had implemented.
While nobody can argue with system security measures, if the program is still kicking students off, that is a problem. The fact that this issue occurred last year in Indiana, and then as recent as a week ago in Oklahoma, does not bode well for CTB/McGraw-Hill. Oklahoma State Superintendent Janet Barresi is already calling for the state to find another company to contract for the exams.
As more and more states push for online tests — and teacher evaluations are determined by said tests — having stress-free systems in place to assess students is increasingly important.