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AEP Online |
Recent Testing Errors Raise QuestionsA string of recent testing errors around the country has caused concern among college and high school officials, testing experts, students and parents. In fact, The New York Times reports some educators and lawmakers are proposing the creation of a national agency like the Food and Drug Administration to monitor and regulate testing. "We need accountability," said Boston College professor George F. Madus in the report. Madus is a research professor at the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation and Educational Policy. "I certainly wouldn't want to get rid of testing, but we need to be much more aware than we are now about the shortcomings, the limitations and fallibility of the technology." On March 7, the College Board announced that 4,000 students who took the SATs last October received lower scores due to a scoring error, and a week later, it was reported that a batch of 1,600 tests from the October test had escaped a check for errors. This was followed last week by an $11 million settlement by the Educational Testing Service of a case involving scoring errors on 27,000 teacher certification tests. While few would argue that companies offering assessment services need to be held to the highest standards of quality control, some fear that imposing stricter standards will only force assessment companies to higher their price. "When something like this occurs, you want to make sure you don't create regulations or ways of doing things that increase costs and don't improve the quality of service," said College Board president Gaston Caperton in the Times report.
Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 856-241-7772. |
"Testing
Errors Prompt Calls for Oversight" "1,600
SAT Tests Escaped Check for Scoring Errors"
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