NEWS

Tennessee picks new TNReady test company, will phase in online exams

Jason Gonzales
jagonzales@tennessean.com

The Tennessee Department of Education wants Questar Assessment to administer standardized testing in Tennessee, but will take a slow approach in how it requires districts to move toward online exams.

For districts statewide in the 2016-17 school year, that means students in grades 3-8 will take tests on paper and pencil. And the department will work with Questar to provide an online option for year-end high school exams if both the schools and the testing platform demonstrate early proof of successful online administration.

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen told reporters Wednesday there might be further exceptions after three years, when the state expects to fully switch to online testing.

"We are even looking past three years to provide exemptions for younger grades," she said.

The state offered the two-year, $30 million per year contract on Wednesday morning, and pursuant to state contract rules, the deal will be finalized in seven days, according to the department. The state expects to release a timeline detailing 2016-17 testing next year after the contract is finalized.

The Tennessee Department of Education was left without a vendor after it canceled in April a five-year, $108 million contract with Measurement Inc. to administer TNReady online tests statewide. Measurement Inc.'s online platform couldn't meet the demand, and the company later couldn't provide enough paper exams on time.

“Students, teachers and parents deserve a better testing experience in Tennessee, and we believe today’s announcement is another step in the right direction,” McQueen said.

In 2014, along with Measurement Inc., the state received bids from CTB/McGraw Hill, Pearson, Questar Assessment and Vantage. The state reviewed those firms, along with several others.

Over the past month, the department has been vetting those companies and their ability to administer standardized testing. The department didn't need any approval from lawmakers for the contract, despite concerns from legislators.

Tennessee comptroller lists online test issues in every state

The education department expressed confidence in their new vendor, saying Questar has a proven track record of excellence in statewide testing and administering large-scale assessments through paper and online formats.

This past school year, Minneapolis-based Questar administered the New York grade 3-8 assessments to more than 1.3 million students, Tennessee officials said. And in 2015, Questar also developed the Mississippi annual assessment on a timeline similar to Tennessee’s.

“Questar has recent experience developing a large-scale test thoughtfully and urgently,” McQueen said. “We believe it is the right partner to collaborate with as we continue to develop assessments that are meaningful and measure what our students truly know and understand."

The announcement comes after a school year that was riddled with testing issues. Measurement Inc.'s work in Tennessee came to an end because of numerous problems.

In the original 2014 contract vetting process, a Tennessean investigation found the state disregarded red flags about Measurement Inc.'s ability to complete the state's five-year, $108 million contract, including its inexperience in administering online tests at the level Tennessee demanded. Other states also said the company's software wasn't top-notch.

The state said Wednesday the initial bidding process was not flawed but added further technical requirements after the 2014 bidding process.

Tennessee disregarded red flags with TNReady testing firm

In a June meeting with lawmakers, McQueen said the state believed the vendor was ready to administer tests after multiple software fixes and "stress tests" that prompted adjustments to online servers.

But on Feb. 8, the first day of testing, McQueen made the call to halt the online portion of the TNReady test. The company later said it couldn't meet the necessary demands of students taking the test on its servers.

The education department opted to switch to paper tests. However, the problems only snowballed as Measurement Inc. missed repeated deadlines to provide millions of paper versions to the state’s 146 school districts.

In April the state canceled Measurement Inc.'s contract, of which the state paid $1.6 million to develop testing materials. The department is in settlement negotiations with Measurement Inc. and hopes to reach a resolution soon, according to the state's Wednesday news release.

Also in April, the state allowed districts to cancel grades 3-8 TNReady testing and announced it would eliminate accountability measures for those grades.

All high schools were required to take TNReady paper tests, with Pearson Education being awarded an $18.5 million contract to score those tests.

It's unclear whether the state will keep the TNReady name or return to using TCAP, or Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, next school year. McQueen said there was confusion among families about the two names.

Reach Jason Gonzales at 615-259-8047 and on Twitter @ByJasonGonzales.

Tennessee contracts with Pearson to score TNReady high school tests