ELA testing breakdown causes disruptions at Bayport-Blue Point, Levittown, Massapequa, Shoreham-Wading River and East Meadow schools

A breakdown in computerized state English testing hit schools on Long Island and elsewhere in the state early Tuesday, though technical glitches were resolved later that morning, state education officials reported. 

Nonetheless, some local school authorities described the testing postponements as disruptive.  

In the Levittown district, Superintendent Todd Winch said that about 1,600 students in grades three through five were preparing to take the tests in English language arts around 9 a.m., when his system received notice that testing was postponed. Teachers then pivoted to daily lessons, and testing was rescheduled for Thursday, he said. 

"But it's still disruptive, because it changes the plans that everybody has for that day at a moment's notice," Winch said. 

Another problem, local educators said, is that some districts now must decide whether to hold make up tests later this week or after spring break, which starts Monday. State tests in both English and math are taken over two-day periods, so some students could see their testing periods split over several weeks. 

Temporary breakdowns were also reported in Bayport-Blue Point, East Meadow, Massapequa, and Shoreham-Wading River on the Island, as well as in the city of Albany and its adjacent suburb of Bethlehem. Due to differences in local class schedules, some students found themselves cut off in the middle of testing, while others had tests temporarily canceled just before they began. 

In an email to Newsday, a spokesman for the state's Department of Education described the technical glitches as "localized" and said they affected about 10% of schools statewide. The spokesman, JP O'Hare, added in the message issued at 11:17 a.m. Tuesday that technical problems had been resolved and that the system was again functioning at full capacity.  

"We apologize for the inconvenience to those students and school personnel," O'Hare added. 

O'Hare said the corrective action was taken by a private contractor that administers tests for the department. The contractor, NWEA, is a non-profit educational services organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon. 

"It's important to note that tens of thousands of students have successfully completed their tests without issue," O'Hare wrote. "With six weeks allocated for testing, we remain confident that all students will have the time and opportunity to complete their assessments." 

ELA tests are taken annually statewide by more than 900,000 students in grades three through eight. That includes more than 110,000 students on Long Island.

State testing in both English and math is conducted in April and May. In many districts, testing is already fully computerized, but some districts use a combination of digital and paper exams. Full computerization statewide is due to be in place by spring 2026. 

By John Hildebrand

john.hildebrand@newsday.com@johnhnewsday

John Hildebrand is Newsday's senior education writer and has covered school news and policy issues affecting Long Island for more than 40 years.