Company apologizes
for flawed tests
In a letter of apology sent to Hawaii's public schools, Harcourt Assessment Inc. said no students will need to be retested as a result of errors the company made in preparing tests given statewide this spring.
The letter, sent to all principals and testing coordinators Friday, was released yesterday by the state Department of Education.
"Any potential negative impact on student or school performance because of these mistakes will be identified and appropriate adjustments made before reporting student results," wrote Robin Gunn, Harcourt's senior vice president of contract testing programs. "Thus, no retesting will be necessary."
The San Antonio, Texas-based company is in the midst of scoring the 2004 Hawaii State Assessment and analyzing the results, according to Selvin Chin-Chance, head of the Test Development Section of the Hawaii Department of Education. State test officials will review the company's findings and proposed adjustments before action is taken, he said.
Gunn said Harcourt accepts full responsibility and will compensate the state for costs associated with the errors, as well as punitive damages. Mistakes ranged from errors in sample problems to a missing graph.
The company blamed the flaws on shortcuts taken by employees, and has added more inspections and audits to prevent the problem in the future.
National testing companies have been under pressure in the past two years because of growing demand for complex tests customized to each state under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Harcourt has now built up enough test items for Hawaii that it won't face the time crunch it did this year, according to Tracy Gardner, a senior testing specialist for the company.
Hawaii State Assessment results determine which schools face sanctions under federal law, but do not affect a child's grades or promotion to the next grade.
The full text of Harcourt's letter is posted at www.doe.k12.hi.us.