Florida faces a confidence crisis in its annual testing program. Last week, for the second time in two months, the computerized system crashed, the result of avoidable vendor errors. The upshot has been heightened challenges to Florida’s 15-year-old accountability model.
Parents and education advocates question whether the state pushed online testing before its time. They argue that the test’s validity is damaged and are calling for the state to remove all consequences for students, teachers and schools if it won’t pause testing altogether.
Some wonder whether the problems might have been avoided had Florida not abandoned the testing consortium it helped create and lead.
