STAAR test results released Friday showed scores remained steady despite reports of widespread problems. The high-stakes tests are used to gauge student performance and factor into a school’s ranking with the state.
“There obviously are some question marks about the accuracy of these tests and how they were handled and how they were graded,” said Clay Robison, spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association.
Outside Dallas, Lewisville ISD raised a big red flag Thursday, after the district recorded a sample of STAAR Exams. The Superintendent told reporters about 20 percent of the high school English exams were scored incorrectly.
The errors could have stopped some eligible students from graduating and STAAR exam scores impact a schools rating with the state.
Robison said, “We have serious concerns with the STAAR and we have for a long time. And we believe this may even be to make up a cliché, the tip of the iceberg.”
From Houston to Dallas, nearly 50 superintendents sent a letter to the state’s Commissioner of Education to ask that some STAAR scores not be used in accountability ratings. Officials at other districts said they are now questing if the test results can be trusted.
“Well, this is pretty significant in that mistakes happened all over the state,” Robison said.
TEA officials responded to questions via email.
“TEA has found nothing to call into question the reliability of the test. Most of the issues have been around the testing process, not the tests themselves,” spokesperson DeEtta Culbertson wrote.
Answers on more than 14,000 tests were lost due to a computer glitch during online testing. On Friday the state’s Education Commissioner released a letter to announce the scores affected by online testing issues will be excluded from accountability calculations and will not be used against students.
But the letter from superintendents, which lists 94 issues, indicates problems stretch far beyond a computer glitch.
From a question with no right answer to test materials sent to the wrong school, the letter contains a slew of issues.
The standardized tests are administered by a new vendor for the first time.
Educational Testing Services declined to comment on the concerns and directed all questions to the TEA. Citing the company’s $280 million contract with the state, the spokesman said ETS is required to refer all media inquiries to the TEA.
According to Culbertson, the TEA is in talks with ETS to determine what steps will be taken to ensure these issues do happen again. If they do, the Commissioner of Education will look at all options, including reopening the contract.
Culbertson wrote, “Commissioner Morath has spoken about liquidated damages being assessed against ETS in regard to the issues brought forth by superintendents. That tabulation is taking place now.”
In other words, the mistakes could cost ETS some money.
Late Friday afternoon the TEA released another letter that said high school seniors who did not pass the English I or English II exams have until May 10th to submit a re-score request.
As far as the other complaints go, Culbertson said the TEA has not determined what the agency’s formal response will be.
Culbertson said the Commissioner is meeting with superintendents across the state to hear their concerns.
