The city’s public schools were scheduled to administer annual state math tests in grades 3 through 8 during a two-week window from Tuesday through May 8, according to the testing calendar. But technical difficulties related to the state’s testing vendor, NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association), wreaked havoc on a planned testing day.
The glitches were so disruptive that some schools decided to throw in the towel and delay the test to a later date.
“I know this issue has been challenging and frustrating for schools, students and families who have been working hard in preparation for these exams,” Chancellor Kamar Samuels said Wednesday night during the monthly meeting of the city’s Panel for Educational Policy. “I want to extend my gratitude to everyone in our school communities who problem-solved and worked through this today.”
The vendor said it was still determining the reason for the snag but has set a goal of restoring the testing system by Thursday.
“The cause of this has not yet been identified, which means the fix is also pending,” said Simona Beattie, a spokeswoman for NWEA. “We have directed all available internal resources toward finding the cause and resolving the issue as soon as possible.”
“We sincerely apologize for the disruption this has caused to those schools who were impacted today.”
A spokesperson for the New York State Education Department said the problem impacted a “limited number” of test-takers in select school districts. Across the state, more than 116,000 students successfully tested in the morning, though it was not clear how many of them were in the city.
“The New York State Education Department (NYSED) appreciates the patience and resolve demonstrated by the students and school districts that experienced interruptions,” said JP O’Hare, the spokesman. He added the department was in touch with the vendor to address the issue and advising impacted schools that they can pause testing on Wednesday or delay to another day within the testing window.
“NYSED is actively monitoring the situation to ensure sufficient support is provided to schools that may require it,” he said.
The city’s school system could not say how many students or schools were scheduled to take or administer the exam on Wednesday. There are about 350,00 students in grades 3 through 8, according to school enrollment data.
“We’re aware of the issues with the state testing platform today and assessing the impact to our schools,” said Nicole Brownstein, press secretary for the city’s schools. “We are in close communication with the New York State Education Department about next steps for schools and families.”
This was the first year that all New York City test-takers were required to take computer-based exams. Students in the city’s traditional public schools took the English Language Arts state test earlier this month without incident, though some local charter schools scheduled to take the ELA exam on Wednesday were also impacted.
“Our students came to school ready,” said Emily Kim, founder and CEO of Zeta Charter Schools, whose students faced issues on the second day of their reading tests. “They were focused, prepared, and taking this moment seriously. Instead, they were met with repeated login failures, uncertainty, and disruption.”
It’s also the second consecutive year that technical issues have disrupted state testing in school districts across New York state. Students in Pennsylvania experienced similar snags last week as more state education departments are moving to computerized assessments.
“Once again, students and educators were left scrambling because the state failed in its responsibility to hold its vendors and consultants accountable,” said Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers. “The UFT is talking with state officials, so children and school communities are not penalized for a mess others made.”
The state tests are not the first exams to go digital. The SAT has moved online, and the specialized high school admissions test also recently made the pivot. But the growing embrace of computerized systems has at times meant fewer pencil-and-paper contingency plans when technology breaks down.
“We seem to be over reliant on tech in classrooms,” said Noah Odabashian, a Manhattan dad with a sixth-grader scheduled to take the test next week, warning of the possibility for “widespread failures,” such as when city schools struggled to pivot to remote learning for a 2024 snow day.
“My daughter’s an athlete, and when you’re ready to compete is when you’re ready to compete,” he added. “It can be very destabilizing to be focused for a test or competition, then have the bottom fall out.”
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