Updated 9:37 a.m. Dec. 2: The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development announced Thursday the new vendor for statewide student assessments, to replace the problem-plagued Alaska Measures of Progress test.
Brian Laurent, with the state Department of Education and Early Development, said the company has a history in Alaska.
“DRC obviously has experience with technology and infrastructure in Alaska,” Laurent said. “Specifically the challenges in parts of our state; specifically rural Alaska with the technology.”
The corporation partnered with the state for nearly a decade to administer the statewide student assessment prior to the more recent Alaska Measures of Progress test. The company currently administers the state’s English language proficiency assessments.
The state’s former test was plagued by technical issues, which interrupted testing and delayed results.
Teachers and school officials also questioned the usefulness of the old test’s results, saying it lacked detailed enough information to properly assess students’ learning.
Laurent believes the new test addresses those concerns.
“With the example reports that were provided, just on their own, were an improvement compared to the reports that our previous assessment vendor released in 2015 for the Alaska Measures of Progress,” Laurent said.
Laurent said some of the customization options for the reports include the balance between text and graphics, and the types of graphics used in the reports in a effort to make them more user friendly for teachers, parents and others who may be reviewing the results.
While the vendor has been chosen, many of the details of the test itself have not yet been finalized.
An exact price tag has not been determined, though Laurent said it will fit within the state’s $4.45 million assessment budget for the upcoming year – of which, the federal government contributes approximately $3.5 million.
The corporation assessment covers English language, arts and math as well as separate, less-frequent testing in science.
The next testing window for Alaska schools is March 28 through April 28, 2017.
Alaska announces new vendor for statewide student tests
Originally posted 3 p.m. Dec. 1, 2016: The Alaska education department has chosen a new vendor for its statewide student tests after glitches earlier this year prompted cancellation of the tests.
The department announced Thursday that tests from Minnesota-based Data Recognition Corp. will be given to students in 2017.
In April, the department cited technical disruptions and concerns with the validity of tests results in cancelling computer-based testing administered by the Kansas-based Achievement and Assessment Institute.
Districts will be able to decide whether to give the new tests by paper or computer.
The estimated testing budget for the current school year is about $4.5 million. The contract is being negotiated. The department says the federal government contributes about $3.5 million annually toward the cost of Alaska’s statewide testing.
The department said it considered comments from teachers, superintendents, educational groups and others in choosing Data Recognition Corp. from among six applicants.
— Associated Press
