Report: Education Company Monitoring Social Media Accounts Of Common Core Test Takers
WARREN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- An education company running Common Core testing is monitoring students' social media accounts for security breaches, according to reports.
The New Jersey Department of Education reportedly told school officials at Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren about alleged Internet postings regarding the PARCC exam made by several students.
A spokesperson for the testing company, Pearson, confirmed to The Washington Post that it will alert states when it finds test questions being posted publicly to the Internet, saying security maintains fairness for students as well as the integrity of the results.
Report: Education Company Monitoring Social Media Accounts Of Common Core Test Takers
The social media montioring policy prompted Elizabeth Jewett, superintendent of Watchung Hills, to send an email to colleagues expressing her concerns that it could cause even more parents to opt out of the testing for their kids.
"I have to say that I find that a bit disturbing -- and if our parents were concerned before about a conspiracy with all of the student data, I am sure I will be receiving more letters of refusal once this get out," Jewett wrote in the email.
A former Star-Ledger columnist, Bob Braun, who first blogged about the social media monitoring, reported that students were not posting actual test questions, only comments.
