I hope someone can answer.

How many questions did the test have overall in math?

How long before it was caught?

And I'm not sure if was the how the editing in the story was done or if Ms. Coats was referring to the eventual real test when she said this could affect teacher performance. Does this practice test affect teachers in any way?

No, the practice test doesn't affect teachers.

Neither is the actual TCAP a testing product of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (the culprit here); the actual TCAP is a testing product of Pearson, the story says.

Finally, the story also says that the Department of Ed prefers the Pearson practice test product, too, although it apparently allows practice tests of other companies and just advises teachers and schools to check them carefully.

I think Ms. Coats' comment was only to suggest that if the one company could make such errors on its practice test product, the other company could conceivably make such errors on its "for real" test product, too--and I'd guess she's right.

I found the story to offer one more reason why we're not prudent to attach just every measure of student achievement or teacher effectiveness, either one, on a single high-stakes test.

I mistook administer to mean Pearson was the proctor.

You mention the Department of Ed put the onus of checking the test on the schools. The WATE report said a parent found the error. These two things led to my question on timing.

A little off topic, but searching Pearson led me to some of their Tennessee links. This one, from the TN Department of Ed titled, ‘“Test-Time” Strategies for Students, Parents, and Teachers” is an interesting read. It ends with this; “Be careful not to over emphasize the importance of the test.” For bonus fun, read it from the end to beginning. “ANXIETY!”

Clearly question 20 has no correct answers, but in question 18, couldn't "0.4" be considered a plausible answer for 0.384 if rounded up?

I am hearing this same concern voiced over on the SPEAK Facebook page.

Teachers would never know if there were mistakes on the actual test because they could be fired for looking at the test. We do have Pearson textbooks though, and the classroom materials do contain mistakes from time to time, either on the worksheets or in the teachers' addition.