Concerns Arise Over State's Use Of Same Tests Two Years in a Row

By Mark Walsh

Wisconsin officials administered exactly the same proficiency tests to 4th, 8th, and 10th graders this year as the ones they used last year, prompting concern among some educators about test security and validity.

The state education department says the reuse of the same form of the tests was the result of unusual circumstances and will not happen again. But some educators around the state expressed concern, and the office of Gov. Tommy Thompson, a Republican who is often at odds with the department, criticized the move.

Although it is a different cohort of students taking the tests, some observers say the reuse of the tests could present security issues or could lead to "score creep," in which test results may not accurately reflect...