Assessment News in Brief

States, Ed. Dept. Faulted on Test-Integrity Protection

By Michele McNeil — April 15, 2014 1 min read
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The U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general released a report last week that faults state and federal officials for not doing more to protect the integrity of K-12 testing systems. It follows a report last year that drew similar conclusions about Michigan’s system.

The new report examines the testing systems in Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Texas as part of a nationwide audit.

Auditors found weaknesses in test security, monitoring, and risk analysis. They also found that state testing systems did not always require corrective action if questionable test results were found.

Auditors flagged federal officials for not doing more to improve test integrity.

Department officials say the agency is working to improve its protocols.

A version of this article appeared in the April 16, 2014 edition of Education Week as States, Ed. Dept. Faulted On Test-Integrity Protection

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