Weeks late, FCAT scores out Monday

Finally, Florida schools are going to get the FCAT scores that allow them to plan for next school year.

Promised delivery date: Monday, several weeks behind schedule.

About a week later, parents should check the mailbox for their child’s individual scores, used to determine who can take electives and who needs remedial classes. The company that administers and grades the tests, NCS Pearson, is getting something too: a $3 million rap on the knuckles for tardiness — with more punishment on the way.

Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith said he’s holding Pearson accountable.

“I fully realize that assessing these damages does not completely make up for the significant inconveniences being felt by students and their families, teachers and school administrators,” he said.

This year’s delays have caused massive headaches for students, parents and administrators.

FCAT scores are an important factor in deciding whether a student moves on to the next grade, gets placed in remedial courses, and ultimately whether he or she graduates.

They are also critical in determining the letter grade assigned annually to individual schools. Those letter grades, which were doled out by this time last year, are not expected until sometime in July.

Pearson spokesman Adam Gaber reiterated that the company accepts responsibility for the mess — and stressed that it intends to fulfill all obligations to the state.

“We will continue to work with the Department of Education to work out the details on damages, but right now are focused on getting the test results delivered,” he said.

According to the $254 million contract awarded to Pearson last year, the company can be fined up to $250,000 for each day results are late. The total penalty cannot exceed $25.4 million. But the company’s president has vowed to reimburse districts for whatever extra costs they have to bear if the penalties don’t cover them.

The likely cost in Miami-Dade alone: $2.3 million.

The school system will have to pay hundreds of assistant principals, guidance counselors and office workers to come in over the summer and revamp student schedules, Assistant Superintendent Enid Weisman said.

Manatee County School District staff was still working on how much the delay will cost here, said Margi Nanney, spokeswoman for the district.

“It’s very difficult to come up with a figure,” Nanney said, adding there are a lot of variables to consider.

Pearson, which has had previous problems administering tests in Florida and other states, won the FCAT contract after submitting a significantly lower bid than competitor CTB McGraw-Hill.

Under the contract, Pearson was supposed to release the first batch of results in April. But the company had trouble meshing its databases with the state’s — resulting in mismatches in student demographic data, Pearson Assessment President Doug Kubach said.

— Carl Mario Nudi, Herald Staff Writer, contributed to this report.