Oklahoma Education Board Tables Decision On Testing Contract

The Oklahoma Board of Education tabled a plan at its meeting Thursday to rehire the testing company they fired in June.

Thursday, September 25th 2014, 1:16 pm

By: News On 6

Oklahoma Education Board Tables Decision On Testing Contract

The Oklahoma Board of Education tabled a plan at its meeting Thursday to rehire the testing company they fired in June.

The board voted this summer to terminate the agency's contract with vendor CTB/McGraw-Hill after another 8,100 middle and high school students across the state experienced computer problems during tests. Those glitches followed similar problems in 2013.

The Oklahoma Department of Education is considering using CTB/McGraw-Hill to carry out tests this winter at an estimated cost of $2.8 million.

Department of Education spokesman Phil Bacharach says a delay in new state education standards and short turnaround to solicit new bidders left state officials no choice but to use the same vendor to conduct tests in December.

A special board meeting will be called within the next two weeks.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who was in Tulsa Thursday, is investigating CTB/McGraw Hill. He wants to know how much the glitches cost taxpayers.