The Florida Department of Education is asking for more than $3 million in damages from contractor NCS Pearson over a delay in reporting the results of the state’s standardized exam, the FCAT.
“I fully realize that assessing these damages does not completely make up for the significant inconveniences being felt by students and their families, teachers and school administrators, but it does show very clearly that we are holding Pearson accountable for their failure to uphold the terms of the contract,” state education commissioner Eric Smith said in a release Thursday.
The FCAT is administered to students in grades 3 through 11, with reading and math tested in most grades and science and writing tested in some of them. NCS Pearson signed a $250 million contract with the state in 2009 to provide scoring of the exam until 2013. Harcourt Assessment, acquired by Pearson in 2007, had provided similar services related to the FCAT since 2000.
Scores from the writing exam were to be released in April, with scores from most reading, math and science exams following a few weeks after. Most of the results came several weeks late and some have yet to be delivered.
The delays, attributed to technical glitches, sparked outrage from the department, school districts and lawmakers. School officials have said that the delays cause problems in staffing because grade promotion for students is based on the exams.
Pearson has publicly taken responsibility for the situation and a spokesman said Thursday “we intend to fulfill all our obligations to the state.”
“We will continue to work with the DOE to work out the details on damages, but right now are focused on getting the test results delivered,” said spokesman Adam Gaber.
The Department of Education said it had not heard back directly from Pearson about the state’s intent to seek damages and Smith said in a statement that once all of the results have been delivered he may seek additional damages that are “consistent with all other missed delivery dates.”
By Kathleen Haughney
The News Service of Florida
