Hundreds More AP Test Scores Reported Missing (plus Praxis teacher exams)

[DeepModem Mom]

Hundreds More AP Test Scores Reported Missing
By Valerie Strauss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 2, 2006; Page A03

The company that administers Advanced Placement exams said yesterday that more test results than previously disclosed were lost and for the first time blamed computer glitches for part of the problem.

Score sheets for portions of at least 1,500 exams taken in May around the world were discovered missing, said Tom Ewing, spokesman for the Educational Testing Service. Last month, Ewing had said that a few hundred had gone astray. Students from England, Israel, Canada and the United States have reported missing test scores.

In addition, Ewing said that about 2,700 scores for the Praxis teacher licensing examinations taken in the United States in June had been delayed or misplaced but that most have been found. States use Praxis results as part of their teacher licensing certification process....

***

Some of the problems with the lost AP scores resulted because of computer problems in May and June with tracking and processing tests, Ewing said. Officials at ETS, which develops and scores AP tests for the nonprofit College Board, are trying to figure out what happened, he said....

***

Students around the world have been struggling with how to handle the lost tests, with options including taking tests again or seeking a refund, and some school administrators and parents have said that they are not satisfied with the testing service's effort to help them....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/01/AR2006090101381.html

[Selatius]

1. Must your entire college career hang on a single test score? n/t

[david_vincent]

2. There are colleges, even some good ones, that do not require

standardized test scores, such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, and MAT, for admission. On the other hand, this article is referring to Advanced Placement and Praxis tests. The Praxis is mandated by law in order to get into an approved education program, which is the only way to earn certification to teach in public schools. And AP tests have nothing to do with admission to college, they pertain to advanced standing, i.e. how many credits will the student already have when (s)he registers?
Off the topic, my own feeling is that the measures taken to "ensure" the quality of public school teachers do as much to divert the best teachers into private schools as they do to fulfill their supposed function.

[havocmom]

3. Tin foil question: Purging teachers who are not 'party regulars'?

They gotta make sure the youth is not corrupted with any critical thinking skills to stay in power.

[rainbow4321]

4. You can lose massive amount of credit..

Could lead to a lot of hard work down the drain and retaking of exams that you may or may not do as well on the second time.

My daughter took AP classes thru high school, took each classes' tests where a "score" of 4 or 5 can get you out of many of the basic college classes. She got 2 semesters of classes credited away (all of her college English, math, history, psych classes, biology)and in the eyes of the school she was considered a sophmore before she even step foot on their campus.
She got to start taking classes related to her major immediately which made the first semester more exciting for her.

It would have been devestating to go thru all these advanced classes, take their tests, only to find out you have to go thru the tests AGAIN...possibly just weeks/days before you are about to graduate from high school and head to college.

Someone's head need to roll over this. They have created quite a mess for these hard-working, driven high school students.

[TexasLawyer]

5. But thank goodness,

this kind of thing can't happen with votes!!!:sarcasm: