More Errors Found On New York Standardized Tests

Reports of more erroneous state-wide exams have surfaced. First, there were issues with an eighth-grade reading exam that had a bizarre and confusing passage about a pineapple. Now, fourth and eighth-grade math test have questions with more than one correct answer and others with no correct answer at all.

The second set of examination issues have raised concerns about Pearson, the company that is in their first year of a five-year, $32M contract to manage the tests for New York State, according to Gotham Schools.

“If our children make errors on these high-stakes exams, this will have negative consequences for them, as well as for their teachers and schools,” said Leonie Haimson, the parent activist who first alerted the media regarding the pineapple passage. “So why should Pearson, which had nearly $2 billion in profits last year, be left off the hook for their sloppy mistakes?”

Information given to schools proctors states they may tell a test-taker that a question could have two possible answers, but only if they asked.

Parents, what do you think of these “sloppy” mistakes on state-wide examinations?