Editorial: No passing grade for testing company

Tuesday, July 30, 2002 | 8:45 a.m.

The state Board of Education received some disturbing news on Friday. It seems that 736 sophomores and juniors who took the Nevada high school proficiency test in April had been told that they flunked the exam when, in fact, they actually had passed it. It was disclosed last week that Harcourt Education Measurement, a Texas-based company with a $2.3 million contract to provide the tests in Nevada, had incorrectly figured the number of correct answers to pass the tests.

Fortunately the testing snafu didn't involve seniors taking the test, a mistake that would have resulted in them being denied diplomas. Still, some members of the state Board of Education understandably are so upset by the company's mistake that they want to fire the company. All companies make mistakes, but an egregious error such as this one strikes at the very heart of Harcourt Education Measurement's credibility. The state Board of Education should investigate hiring another company to provide the tests.

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