The lawsuit that was filed in New Mexico accusing the state of bid-rigging when it chose Pearson as a test developer for PARCC still has life.
AP reports that it could halt PARCC in New Mexico.
A legal challenge by a Washington-based testing company may halt a controversial assessment exam in New Mexico that has sparked school walkouts and anger from parents and teachers.
A Santa Fe judge is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday in an appeal by the American Institutes for Research. The company is fighting the state’s granting of a potentially multi-year contract for Common Core testing to Pearson.
AIR wants to limit Pearson’s contract to a year and is seeking another bidding process for later contact years.
Pearson was contracted by states belonging to a consortium to administer the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam, or PARCC.
Taxpayers should have a problem with the non-competitive process that the consortia implemented in choosing Pearson. AP mentioned a review board in Mississippi dinged the process. I wouldn’t be surprised to see other legal challenges crop up. This was something that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal tried to unsuccessfully fight saying this process violated Louisiana’s procurement laws.