Close Scrutiny For Testing

Even without any mishaps like the one reported in CT this week (Connecticut student test results delayed), the testing industry (and state testing systems) are probably in for a very long summer.

I'm not saying there'll be subpoenas and sworn testimony just yet, but this winter's SAT debacle, though perhaps overblown in the media and the public imagination, fanned public fears and raised hopes of testing opponents in ways that aren't likely to go away soon. The Education Week report on technology demonstrates just how big and complex (and vulnerable) the assessment and SIS efforts have become -- many of them intertwined with private testing company contracts.

Recent events already been enough to prompt public officials (like Secty Spellings) and reporters (like the NYT's David Herszenhorn) to take a skeptical, tough-guy approach. The spring and summer are sure to contain a smattering at least of delays and mishaps for the press (and NCLB opponents) to hype.