Oregon students will be allowed to use the computer “spell check” function when taking riting—I mean, WRITING—tests next month, the Oregonian newspaper reports.
State officials say the change is an opportunity to better assess students’ writing skills and focus less on typos, according to the story. But some state legislators, upon hearing about the decision at a hearing, questioned whether research showed that allowing the use of spell check was in the best interest of students and whether the move could put Oregon students behind peers in other states.
The story notes that Oregon was the first state to launch online adaptive testing for students and is likely treading new ground in the use of spell check.