Dive Brief:
- The state of Tennessee is now saying that it shares the blame for a massive testing snafu with vendor Measurement Inc. in relation to a new online assessment known as TNReady.
- The state has thus far paid only $1.6 million in its $107 million contract with the vendor, and it says it won't pay more over the issues, according to WHNT 19.
- Students are being required to retake the test on pencil and paper.
Dive Insight:
In May, a report by FairTest showed that 27 states had run into problems using digital exams in the past two years. In 2013, a reported six states had glitches, and that number was 16 by 2015. Pearson, a leading educational services provider, has also run into testing problems — most notably in Minnesota, where it sawed $1 million off its testing contract with the state after glitches emerged.
Ongoing problems with computerized testing will likely continue, but there are a few steps districts can take to try to increase their chances of success.
First, proceed with caution when it comes to using new vendors for something as important as a state assessment test. Slow rollouts and plenty of advance time to work out any snags are important. Educators need to be well-informed about how to administer the tests, and administrators need to fully understand procedures related to exams. Of course, the problems aren't always on the backs of the vendors, as rolling out digital exams for all students in a school or district requires up-to-date broadband infrastructure — a particularly tricky hurdle for many low-income urban and rural schools.