NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The vendor behind the state’s TNReady test system has responded to the state’s scathing audit.
The Tennessee Comptroller’s office released its findings back in December, saying the test was, "plagued with numerous issues including login delays, slow servers and software bugs."
The controversial assessment test left teachers frustrated, students confused and parents angered.
On Thursday, the test’s vendor – Questar Assessment, Inc. – responded to the audit.
“We understand the frustration with TNReady testing last spring,” says Questar Assessment Chief Operating Officer Brad Baumgartner. “We have a long history of successfully serving our customers, and we look forward to continuing those partnerships in the future.”
The audit also found that many of TNReady’s issues were primarily because Questar Assessment, Inc.’s performance and updates to the system.
“While Questar does not agree with several of the Tennessee Comptroller’s findings, we appreciate the thorough nature of the audit and inclusion in the process,” Questar responded.
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The report also claimed that Questar was not adequately staffed during testing. The company says its since “implemented a process to improve outbound communication with state and district staff should an event of this nature occur in the future.”
“Because we had never experienced an issue of this magnitude, we had not developed appropriate outbound communication channels that would have better informed state and district staff. These channels are now in place, thanks to the work of the Tennessee Department of Education and Questar. Our centers will continue to be properly staffed for any additional questions,” Baumgartner said.
As TNReady testing began on April 16 , numerous issues were reported with the test, including the inability for students to be able to login or to save their tests. The problems continued through the end of the month.
As a result, state officials have said they have begun the search for a new vendor for the 2019-2020 school year.
Governor Bill Haslam called it one of his "biggest frustrations" due to the constant failure that plagued the test.
