ELA testing disruptions continue for second day on Long Island, statewide

Breakdowns in the state’s testing system hit schools on Long Island and statewide for the second consecutive day Wednesday, a situation that Albany education officials called “unacceptable.”

The issues were being felt in elementary and middle schools that had sche duled computerized testing this month on the state’s English Language Arts tests for tens of thousands of students. Glitches first broke out Tuesday morning, causing disruptions and postponements for students either in the midst of testing or waiting to be assessed. 

In Albany, state Department of Education spokesman JP O’Hare issued a statement Wednesday apologizing to schools, students and families and acknowledging that some systems had suffered “the loss of two testing days.” O’Hare placed the blame on the state’s testing vendor, NWEA, a private non-profit testing agency based in Portand, Oregon.

“Make no mistake: the state’s testing vendor, NWEA, is solely responsible for the issues that have affected testing this year,” O’Hare said. “We have been in contact with NWEA leadership to demand answers for why this situation has occured and solutions to ensure that students will not be impacted any further during the spring 2025 testing window.” 

An NWEA representative in Portland could not immediately be reached for comment.

O’Hare said the window for this year’s tests, initially scheduled to start April 7 and end May 16, has now been extended by one week, to May 23.

Check back for updates on this developing story.