Department of Education Demands Outside Contractor Correct MEAP Test Shipment Errors Immediately

October 4, 2005

LANSING – The Michigan Department of Education has demanded that its outside testing contractor immediately correct all errors in its shipping of testing materials to elementary and middle schools for this fall’s Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) tests. The Department has said it will levy financial penalties against Pearson Educational Measurement if it does not comply.

A number of Michigan school districts have received incomplete or incorrect shipments of the MEAP testing materials from the Iowa-based company.

The three-week MEAP testing period began this week and any delay by the contractor in the correct filling of ordered materials will require school districts to revise their testing schedules.

“Our contract with Pearson allows for significant financial penalties against them in situations such as this, and we intend to levy them if these problems are not corrected immediately,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan. “When we sign a contract with a vendor, laying out a specific schedule for delivery, we expect it to be met.”

The Department today has notified all Michigan school districts to check their received materials and report any incorrect or incomplete shipments directly to the testing contractor. The Department sent a top-level MEAP administrator to Iowa today to assist, and assess on a daily basis, Pearson’s progress in remedying this situation. School districts will be kept apprised to allow them time to make any necessary adjustments to their testing schedules.