“It raises further questions about whether we yet know the full scope of the problem,” says Robert Schaeffer of the group FairTest, which opposes overuse of standardized testing and is calling for an independent investigation into the errors. “It’s not a large percentage, but if they were your scores or your kid’s scores, it could mean something very significant.”
Some counselors and admissions professionals have also criticized the College Board’s decision not to change the scores of students who received higher scores than they should have. The College Board said last week that the effect of those mistakes was “minute” but has since acknowledged about 600 students received higher scores than they deserved because of the scanning error.
“Needless to say, this is not the E-mail that I wanted to send to you, especially given the additional stress this may place upon you and some students, as well as the awkward situation we already face,” College Board vice president of Higher Education Assessments Jim Montoya wrote in the message. “We are doing everything we can to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, and we truly regret the anxiety this has caused you and students.”
— Associated Press
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