Technical Glitch Forces Dismissal of Thousands During SHSAT

Overview

• The testing platform failed during the SHSAT on Saturday, causing officials to stop exams and dismiss roughly 2,500 students who could not log on or finish.
• The Department of Education says vendor Pearson reported and corrected the problem and that testing would continue the next day.
• Students who were unable to finish will be automatically rescheduled and families will be notified of new dates by November 20, while students who completed the test can request a retake.
• Local elected officials and advocates demanded a transparent or independent investigation and stressed that the DOE remains responsible for vendor selection and oversight.
• The outage highlights risks from this year’s first adaptive digital administration of the SHSAT and raises concerns about logistics and fairness for families if makeups are scheduled close to the Thanksgiving recess.