"(Ya Got) Trouble" at Pearson
Inexcusable Irresponsibility - On Tuesday, March 2, 2015, the following memo was posted on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinationswebsite by Pearson Education:
"Important Announcement about Score Reporting for Redeveloped NYSTCE Content Specialty Tests: Reporting of scores for the redeveloped Content Specialty Tests (CSTs) listed below will be delayed until Spring 2015, while NYSED establishes a passing score for each test/subtest. Please check this website frequently. When passing scores have been established, the score reporting schedule will be updated." The new Content Specialty Tests for teachers designed, administered, and graded by Pearson were rolled out it September 2015. Students seeking teacher certification were originally told to expect results in "early 2015."
A notice was also posted on the NYSED.gov website. NYSED reported it is in the "process of establishing passing scores for each of the redeveloped Content Specialty Tests (CSTs) listed below. It is anticipated that scores for each test/subtest will be released in Spring 2015. When passing scores have been established, the score reporting schedule on the NYSTCE website will be updated."
In response to these postings, I received an email [names deleted] from the parent of one of the students who recently completed the Hofstra University teacher education program.
"As a teacher myself, I am utterly frustrated and angry at Pearson and Gov. Cuomo for the current attack on our profession. I know you have kept a watch on Pearson . . . Currently, I need some advice on how to handle this situation. I do not know whether to contact an attorney and bring a suit against Pearson because this time lag is unacceptable or contact our State Senators but since they are both Democrats, I do not think that will get my anywhere. I can only imagine the students who are waiting for this test and are unable to obtain employment/interviews because they are currently not certified . . . Pearson states that they are releasing the grades in Spring, 2015. Again, an unacceptable time lag."
On Diane Ravitch's Blog, Jane Arnold, a reading specialist with the State University of New York, reported that she "was one of the people asked to 'help' set the cut-off scores for the 5-9 multi-subject tests. We did the math and the ELA. First, these were to set the cut-offs for the 36 people who took the tests in September and who are still waiting for their results. Second, we were asked to take the tests ourselves, and many people said they couldn't imaging having to do this on a computer."
According to Arnold, "one of the questions was worded in such as way that there was no correct answer. Several of the evaluators felt "We're here so Pearson can say they "(Ya Got) Trouble" at Pearson | Alan Singer: