Per upstate parent/teacher Chris Cerrone: BREAKING NEWS: “The 3rd Grade math test (Form D version) across the state contained blank pages with missing questions #33-37 & #43-48. Some schools caught the mistake and delayed the state of the test until copies of the missing questions could be obtained from BOCES were made. Other schools did not catch the error until the test began. These schools will be bringing their kids back to take the test once copies are made.
Another huge Pearson and NYSED fail.
The Third Grade test should be declared INVALID.”
The first news story to report this is here. Other reports have followed here and here and here.
According to page 14 of the NYSED testing guidelines (linked here to PDF): Testing materials can only be obtained from regional centers ON THE DAY THEY ARE TO BE ADMINISTERED.
So, replacement pages obtained today must be administered today. Not tomorrow or another day.
Also reports of some 5th grade tests pages not being cut (pages were connected and couldn’t be turned). Admin had to cut the pages open.
Additionally and unrelated, Wantagh High School, here on Long Island, was evacuated today as a result of a potential bomb threat. The neighboring middle school was also evacuated during the testing time. What are those kids supposed to do?
According to the NYSED testing guidelines page 25 (linked above): No student may be permitted to leave and then return to the testing room during any part of the test unless the student is accompanied by a proctor for the duration of his or her absence from the testing room.
So does that mean that the students who have seen the test today CANNOT come back tomorrow and take it because they will have left the testing room and returned to the same test?
Per page 43: Any breaches or irregularities, except interruptions caused by power outages or alarms, may be determined by the school or by the Department to invalidate a student’s test results.
This would include seeing the test, leaving the building, then returning to take the same test. Wording from page 43 seems to indicate students leaving for “alarm” does not invalidate the results.
The "999"ers: Something is not right. 
Chris Cerrone
/ May 1, 20145th grade Conversion Reference sheet contained an error as well.
Chris Cerrone
/ May 1, 2014Schools in WNY handled this situation in a variety of ways:
*Some caught the errors, delayed the test and sent an admin to BOCES to get the missing questions.
*Another with two elementary schools impacted delayed part II until Tuesday.
*My children’s school had the kid’s that the missing questions later in the day.
Comment from several teachers: How confusing and difficult it was for 8 year olds to skip the bubbles on the scan form and make sure they were answering the correct numbers.
Do you think the results would be valid?
Schools of Thought Hudson Valley NY
/ May 1, 2014Reblogged this on Schools of Thought Hudson Valley, NY.