Students Will Resume MCA Online Testing Friday
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - Minnesota students will resume taking the standardized assessment for science on Friday.
State Education Commissioner Brenda Casselius made the announcement Thursday after she and other state officials were briefed by the company hired to administer the tests about the steps that have been taken to prevent a repeat of the problems that caused a suspension of the on-line Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) testing Wednesday.
The long delays experienced by students trying to take the science test were caused by another “denial of service” attack on the computer systems operated by the Pearson corporation, which has 3-year, $38-million contract with the state. Casselius says Pearson has implemented additional filtering to prevent such disruptions and is “confident the testing can resume properly.”
This marked the second time in less than a month Minnesota’s testing program has been suspended because of a hacking attack on Pearson. Casselius describes the disruptions as “absolutely unacceptable,” and the department will continue to monitor the system closely. She also notes the state is exploring its options, including taking legal action.
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