Alaska cancels standardized testing after Internet problems

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Alaska cancels standardized testing after Internet problems

Heather Hollingsworth, Associated Press

Updated 10:07 pm, Friday, April 1, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Alaska education department said Friday that it was canceling its computer-based statewide student assessments amid Internet problems at the University of Kansas where the test developer is based.

Standardizing testing is on hold in more than a dozen other states because of the problems.

The university's Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation provides general end-of-year assessments for students in Kansas and Alaska. It also offers testing for students with significant cognitive disabilities in those states and 14 others — Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Issues arose Tuesday when a backhoe severed a major fiber cable. Testing was canceled for the rest of the day before resuming Wednesday but was again suspended Thursday afternoon because of service disruptions. Students also experienced problems Friday morning, causing testing to again be suspended.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Kansas-districts-report-technical-problems-with-7222859.php

[bemildred]

1. Standardized voting would be a lot more useful. nt

[elephant hunter]

2. Add Tennessee to your list of states cancelling computer based standardized tests.

Different provider, same results,

[Sunlei]

3. surprised the test computer doesn't 'save' the answers. Now every student knows they can drop connec

drop connection and have excuse to retake a test.