Several districts across the state have not received testing booklets for TN Ready.
The statewide exam was supposed to be taken online. However, a system failure earlier this year forced the Department of Education to use paper tests instead. Now, some districts are facing a potential additional delay.
"While we are frustrated we also want to be empathic in understanding to the volume of work everyone has before them," Willamson County Director of Schools Dr. Mike Looney said.
Looney's district is still waiting for paper booklets. The district said they were supposed to receive the materials last week. However, on Monday, the Department of Education said the district will get the booklets Tuesday.
That's two days before testing is supposed to begin, forcing the district to bring in additional help.
"We're going to be allocating resources all day [Tuesday], " Looney said. We'll have central office staff coming off their regular job, and they'll be working to make sure all the materials get out to schools."
Wilson County said they received late materials as well. The booklets were delivered Monday, the day testing was supposed to begin. They have pushed back the start date of testing until Wednesday.
The Department of Education said the company they hired to print the materials is the reason for the delay.
"The original shipping schedule was based on what the test vendor expected to be able to deliver; however, based on printing capacity, the vendor had to alter this timeline," Ashley Ball, Communications Director for the Department said in an email Monday.
Materials for the following districts were mailed out today: Williamson County and Shelby County grades 3-8.
State officials will send out booklets to the following districts Thursday: Putnam, Maury, Sumner, Rutherford and Montgomery Counties.
In Williamson County, school officials said scores will not factor into teachers' evaluations and into students' performance this year. The results, however, will be used to compare how schools performed.
