The high, sad, corrupt cost of Common Core + private contractors... Pearson's reign of error ignored as corporation's take now exceeds $1 billion per year from testing insanity
After New Mexico was added to the states that will be using Pearson tests (and grading) for their high-stakes testing programs, Diane Ravitch joined Fair Test to do two quick calculations about the high cost of Pearson -- and the dramatic number of Pearson mistakes over the past 15 years:
Even when he was merely affecting the policies of one school district in one city, Arne Duncan was a committed purveyor of high-stakes testings, mindless sound bites in favor of privatization, and widespread teacher bashing and union busting. Above, Duncan at a press conference on June 6, 2006 in Chicago. That event was held two-and-a-half years before the election of Barack Obama President of the United States gave the reactionary policies of Duncan, Obama and their corporate supported national scope, leading to Race To The Top and other attacks on democracy, public schools, and the people who work in the public schools of the USA. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.DIANE RAVITCH BLOG POSTING FROM JUNE 5, 2014 BELOW HERE:
Now that the purchasing agent for New Mexico approved the $1 billion PARCC contract tailor-made for Pearson, that lucky British company will write the Common Core tests for 6-10 million American children.
But consider Pearson's history of testing errors:
"PEARSON SCORE FOUL-UP HISTORY, by Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director, FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing (updated February, 2011)
1998 California test score delivery delayed
1999-2000 Arizona 12,000 tests misgraded due to flawed answer key
2000 Florida test score delivery delayed resulting in $4 million fine
2000 Minnesota misgraded 45,739 graduation tests lawsuit with $11 million settlement judge found "years of quality control problems" and a "culture emphasizing profitability and cost-cutting." -- (note FairTest consulted with plaintiffs attorneys)
2000 Washington 204,000 writing WASL exams rescored
2005 Michigan -- scores delayed and fines levied per contract
2005 Virginia -- computerized test misgraded five students awarded $5,000 scholarships
2005-2006 SAT college admissions test 4400 tests wrongly scored; $3 million settlement after lawsuit (note FairTest was an expert witness for plaintiffs)
2008 South Carolina --Scoring Error Delays School Report Cards The State, November 14, 2008
2008-2009 Arkansas -- first graders forced to retake exam because real test used for practice
2009-2010 Wyoming new computer adaptive PAWS flops; state ordered Pearson to repay $9.5 million for complete default of the contract
2010 Florida test score delivery delayed by more than a month nearly $15 million in fines imposed and paid. School superintendents still question score accuracy.
2010 Minnesota -- results from online science tests taken by 180,000 students delayed due to scoring error
2011 Florida some writing exams delivered to districts without cover sheets, revealing subject students would be asked to write about"
