TCAP practice test typo concerns Chattanooga father

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A Chattanooga father was concerned to see a typo on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) test that he was reviewing with his son.

Chris Bauder says, “I didn’t see the inconsistency until my son couldn’t understand why I was scolding him.”

Scolding him for getting this answer wrong…. when in fact 217 x 33 is 7161 not, what’s printed on the answer key.

“If this is the second question in a series of how many that the whole state is going to require our kids to Take there’s an issue,” says Bauder.

The state says this issue was a typo for one of the answers in the answer key of the 5th grade math TCAP practice test.

Bauder recalled, “He pointed out that the question would’ve had the answer that he had if it was correct so I looked at the paperwork and the question and the answer.”

Bauder was concerned and just hopes that they take extra precautions to make sure the test the kids will take in April doesn’t have typos as well.

“These boys here are just three of many across the state that will be our future.”

The Department of Education Spokes Person says the official tests are edited and reviewed by dozens of Tennessee teachers, and they will continue to improve their procedures by adding additional checks after their review.

Their complete response said:

“Yes, there was a typo for one of the answers in the answer key of the 5th grade math practice [TCAP] test, which we corrected and reposted earlier this year. The practice test is of course just for practice, not for any official scoring, and it is mostly to give students a sense of the types of questions that will be on the exam. The operational test that students take this spring goes through significantly more review. We want all parents to be assured that our test questions and answers are of high quality and accuracy. That is why all of our test questions and answers are edited and reviewed by dozens of Tennessee teachers, and we continue to improve our procedures to ensure that we are adding additional checks after their review, including processes that our vendor must take to meet its responsibility to provide accurate questions and answers.

For the exam students will take this spring, there are significantly more checks in place to review and re-review answer keys and scoring, including new checks we have put in place this year. Each test question and answer on the test for the spring have gone through multiple additional rounds of checks, with multiple reviewers each round. We invite parents to review the released questions and answers from last year’s test, which are on our website, TNReady.gov.”

Officials say there are significantly more checks in place to review and re-review answer keys and scoring for the next test, including new checks they have put in place this year.