A Request to Make the Pearson Tests Public

[proud2BlibKansan]

This is very interesting.

About the author:
John Albin has been the director of purchasing and contracts at Hunter College of the City University of New York since 2009. Before that he served as assistant commissioner for performance management and accountability in the New York City Department of Transportation. He entered city government following an earlier career as an editor and writer of elementary school math and reading textbooks.

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While many contracts do have confidentiality and copyright language, the default position on intellectual property in New York State procurements is that the state either owns the content outright or licenses it with as few limitations as possible.

Content developed for the state with the state’s money should belong to the state, and should be available to the public unless there is a compelling public purpose for keeping it from public view.

This principle is best expressed by New York’s Freedom of Information Law, commonly referred to as FOIL, which states:

“The people’s right to know the process of governmental decision-making and to review the documents and statistics leading to determinations is basic to our society. Access to such information should not be thwarted by shrouding it with the cloak of secrecy or confidentiality.”

With all this in mind, on May 3 I submitted a FOIL request to the New York State Education Department for copies of the exams and answer keys used in grades three through eight. I received acknowledgement of the request on May 7, but have not yet heard back about whether the request will be granted.

more . . . http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/05/11/a-request-to-make-the-pearson-tests-public/?partner=rss&emc=rss

[salin]

1. excellent letter. I hope there is some follow up.