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What you should know: Computer problems plague NY school tests

Thursday morning, the state Education Department said the testing was going well without any hitches.
(Photo: Thinkstock)

ALBANY -- Standardized testing for more than 1 million students took a bad turn Wednesday when students taking the English exams on computers dealt with myriad glitches with the system.

Some schools reported that students who were taking the tests in grades 3-8 couldn't log in; others had "system error" as the only choices on multiple-choice questions.

In some cases, students' computerized notes didn't save, and some schools delayed the tests until the problems were sorted out.

But on Thursday morning, the state Education Department said the testing was going well without any hitches.

What happened?

The state said 263 out of nearly 700 school districts agreed this year to offer computerized exams to at least some students.

That was a big jump from about 180 districts that did so last year as the state Education Department is hoping to move entirely to computer testing in the next few years -- rather than relying on pencil and paper.

The English exams started Tuesday on computer for students in grades 3-8, while the paper exams started Wednesday.

The tests take two days -- down from three days last year.

While there weren't many hiccups Tuesday, on Wednesday, the problems were pronounced.

Questar, the Minnesota-based company that administers the tests, had trouble getting the computer programs working properly, causing problems across the state.

“Questar Assessment Inc., New York State’s assessment vendor, experienced delays in the delivery of computer-based tests to students in some schools across the state this morning," state Education Department spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said.

"Questar resolved the matter as quickly as possible with the delay times varying."

Who was affected?

The state Education Department has been mum on how many students who tried to take the tests Wednesday were unable to.

But it said how many did take them: 49,000 completed the tests on Wednesday; that's up from 32,000 students who took it by computer Tuesday.

The state said it expects to have more figures on who did and didn't take the exams later Thursday.

Schools said they were able to squeeze in the exams for some classes as the computer system came back on line through the day Wednesday.

Others said they pushed the testing back to later this week.

Districts have until Tuesday to have students complete the computer exams.

“We have been in constant contact with schools and reminded them that there is flexibility built into the test schedule," DeSantis said.

She added, "Testing will continue. We will provide as much flexibility as possible to districts to administer tests on subsequent days."

What's next?

Questar has yet to respond to the problems. It received a five-year, $44 million contract from the state Education Department in 2015 to develop state testing.

The contract came after the state dumped Pearson, the London-based testing giant, over criticism on how it developed its Common Core tests.

Now the New York State United Teachers union is criticizing the state, saying it has moved too quickly toward computerized tests.

In January, the union warned the state to slow plans after Questar said it a data breach on some of last year's tests.

The union has fought the standardized tests under the Common Core standards.

Already about 20 percent of students each year opt out of the tests because of opposition to standardized exams.

“If children are going to sit for state standardized tests and are prepared to do their very best, the State Education Department must be able to guarantee that the tests are fair and accurate, and they don’t leave kids anxious and rattled," NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene DiBrango said in a statement.

“Today’s disastrous foray into computer testing left children frustrated and teachers angry that their warnings were ignored."

But other school officials said the problems weren't as significant as the union portended.

"I think we’re just going through growing pains," said Dennis Lauro, executive director of Lower Hudson Regional Information Center, which helps run the tests through BOCES.

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