Standardized testing disruptions reported on Long Island, statewide
Some schools on Long Island experienced disruptions while administering standardized tests Wednesday, officials said. Credit: Getty Images/AJ Watt
Schools across the state, including several on Long Island, experienced disruptions Wednesday during the administration of standardized tests, officials said.
State Education Department spokesman JP O'Hare confirmed the "technical challenges" in a statement posted online.
He said "a limited number of users of the Grades 3-8 Computer-Based Testing System" were affected, without elaborating. The extent of the disruption was not clear Wednesday.
This is the second year state assessments were impacted by glitches. Last year, the deadline to administer the tests had to be extended by one week.
O'Hare said Wednesday the Education Department had reached out to the state's vendor, the nonprofit testing agency NWEA in Portland, Oregon, to resolve the issue.
Simona Beattie, a spokesperson for NWEA, said some schools administering grades 3-8 math tests faced problems that the company was trying to identify and rectify.
"We have directed all available internal resources toward finding the cause and resolving the issue as soon as possible. Our teams with the support of Amazon Web Services ... will be working overnight with the goal of restoring the testing system by tomorrow," she said in an emailed statement Wednesday.
"We sincerely apologize for the disruption this has caused to those schools who were impacted today," she said. She noted that nearly 2 million tests have been completed since testing began earlier this month.
Donna Moro, principal of the Huntington district's The Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School in Huntington Station, sent parents a message Wednesday morning alerting them that the state math tests would be postponed due to a "systemwide" interruption, according to a memo viewed by Newsday. She told parents students would begin testing on Thursday and Friday instead.
"Our goal is to support students and ensure an optimal testing environment. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding," she told parents in the post.
Some students at Stimson Middle School in Huntington Station were unable to start the test and will be allowed to take it at a later date, according to a notice sent out to families that was provided to Newsday by a South Huntington district spokeswoman.
The issues led that district's Silas Wood Sixth Grade Center in Huntington Station to postpone Thursday's scheduled testing session to Friday and Tuesday, according to a notice sent to families.
The Baldwin School District also was affected Wednesday, according to a district spokeswoman who did not say whether testing had to be rescheduled.
Nicole Brownstein, a spokeswoman with the New York City Department of Education, said officials were evaluating the impact to their schools Wednesday. Some students taking the math assessment at The Anderson School, a K-8 school in Manhattan, were impacted, according to a memo sent by school officials.
O'Hare said in his statement Wednesday that affected schools could delay or reschedule testing until the deadline closes on May 15.
"NYSED is actively monitoring the situation to ensure sufficient support is provided to schools that may require it," O’Hare said.
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
