Re: New NCEES testing calculator policy? Message #3 Posted by Norris on 7 Sept 2006, 5:18 p.m., in response to message #2 by Norris
Why the possible new policy? It may be because state boards are reporting issues with examinees that show up with non-approved calculators, and who therefore have to be turned away. In some cases, it has gotten surprisingly ugly, as shown by the May 2006 minutes of the California Board:
Quote:
Ms. Christenson reported that there are approximately 68 exam subversion cases from the April 2006 examination administration. Of these 68 cases, most of them are related to the NCEES calculator policy, which required us to eject candidates from the examination if they were found to be using an unapproved calculator after the examination began.
Ms. Christenson reported that at the Pomona site, a mob of candidates formed outside of the test area after they had been removed from the examination because they had unapproved calculators. Board staff had to be escorted by the CHP [state police] back to their hotels for security reasons.
Ms. Christenson has informed NCEES of this issue and told them that she will not put staff at risk.
President Tuttle requested that the calculator issues be included in the next agenda.
Note that the California Board has never been sympathetic to the NCEES calculator policy, and continues to allow all non-QWERTY calculators on its own state-specific exams. However, the California Board is obliged to enforce the NCEES policy on NCEES exams.
Similar problems have been reported in Ohio.
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