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Utah Reveals that Florida AIR Test Question Rental Will be for THREE Years and Cost $16.2 Million

February, 2015

In information found on the Utah legislative website, it turns out that Florida will not just be renting questions for the American Institute for Research (AIR) Common Core test from that state for one year for $5.4 million, but that it will be for three years.  This will be at a cost of $16.2 million dollars on top of the $220 million over six years that Florida will spend on that test with AIR.

Here is the text from the Utah legislative website:


Leasing of SAGE Online Adaptive Test Questions - Ben Leishman

The State of Florida has requested to use Utah's SAGE (Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence) test questions for the next three years.  Florida is in the process of developing an online computer-adaptive assessment system similar to SAGE and will use Utah's questions until their system is fully developed.  Utah and Florida are using the same contractor, the American Institutes for Research (AIR), to assist in the development of both systems. 

Through the agreement, Utah will provide AIR with the rights to use the Utah owned questions in Florida.  Utah will receive $1.50 per student for each question used in Florida.  Based on current estimates, Utah may receive approximately $5.4 million a year, or $16.2 million over the three-year contract. In exchange for the right to use Utah's questions, AIR will reduce its contract costs for the SAGE system.  This reduction in contract costs will result in higher nonlapsing balances in the Utah State Office of Education line item for the next three years.

The Utah State Board of Education presented details on this agreement to the Executive Appropriations Committee during its June 17, 2014 meeting. Additional information on this issue can be found in the brief titled "Leasing of SAGE Online Adaptive Test Questions." 

Policymakers and the public had been led to believe that this rental situation was to be for one year.  This is yet another disappointing twist in the AIR saga.  AIR is focusing heavily on psychosocial testing and data collection, manipulative computer adaptive testing, controversial social emotional intelligence, experimental education programs, admits that Common Core is a national curriculum, its founder was involved in racial eugenics experiments, and collects data on individual students and teachers through their national longitudinal database.  There is no doubt that Florida should cancel its contract with this organization.



 


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