Pearson bid $20.1 million to take over TNReady testing next year

British testing company Pearson, which will take over Tennessee’s problem-plagued state assessment program, submitted a bid that scored higher and cost less than the proposal by Questar Assessment, the state’s current vendor.

Pearson officials said it would cost $20.1 million to administer the test known as TNReady for the upcoming school year. The company’s five-year bid came in at $93.1 million, which is $16 million under that of Questar, according to documents obtained by Chalkbeat.

In addition, Pearson’s overall proposal was scored consistently higher than Questar’s by the committee that examined the two qualifying bids. The 10-member panel was composed of testing experts from across the state.

Pearson is negotiating its contract with Tennessee after being awarded the bid last week through the state’s Department of General Services. Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said she expects both parties to sign off on the deal by June 13, the state’s deadline under its timeline for securing a new testing company.

Read more: https://dailymemphian.com/section/metro/article/5513/Pearson-bid-201-million-to-take-over-TNReady-testing-next-year