State fines Educational Testing Service $21 million over STAAR problems

The Texas Education Agency has fined the company that bungled this year’s administration of the state standardized test $21 million.

State Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced Tuesday that New Jersey-based Educational Testing Service, or ETS, will pay $6 million in liquidated damages and an additional $15 million to fix a series of problems that arose in administering the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness.

If ETS doesn’t fix problems by the end of December 2017, the TEA could levy further penalties against the company.

“I believe this combination of liquidated damages with an additional financial commitment from ETS reflects the correct balance of accountability for the recent past and safeguards for the future,” Morath said in a news release.

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/state-fines-company-21-million-over-staar-problems/nsKrC/