I'd read a version that said they'd used questions from an old test. So I have another question---why on earth don't these professional test administrators revise their test from one year to the next? I'm just a lowly teacher, and I guard my tests jealously, and use all sorts of tricks to keep one class from leaking it to others.

There's no way a test is going to be secure if you give the same one year after year. There's no excuse for the teachers if they knew the test would be the same, but the test-writers ought to know better as well.
nyc educator | Homepage | 03.29.06 - 7:56 pm | #

ETS does rewrite the tests. I'm amazed that Maryland doesn't. We don't even give the same test twice, ever, but rewrite it every semester.
rightwingprof | Homepage | 03.30.06 - 10:35 am | #

I agree that the state shouldn't continue to use old tests over and over again. That pretty much guarantees cheating.

However, I think we can argue that, in some sense, the teachers involved did "get away" with it. For one thing, their names are being withheld. For another thing, all the "experts" quoted in the article are completly absolving the teachers of any responsibility. They just couldn't help it, not in this "testing culture."
Snakeophelia | Homepage | 03.30.06 - 12:04 pm | #