Wyoming Chooses New PAWS Vendor

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Board of Education has selected a new company to administer the state's public school student assessment.

The board voted 10-0 Thursday to begin negotiations on a contract with Education Testing Service, which is based in Princeton, N.J.

It would take over the state Proficiency Assessments for Wyoming Students test in 2013.

The PAWS test has been administered by NCS Pearson Inc. since 2007 under a four-year $40 million contract that expires after next year's test. The 2010 test administered under Pearson mostly on computers was plagued with software problems that included answers and work disappearing and was a big reason former state schools Superintendent Jim McBride lost his re-election bid last year.

Three companies were interviewed as possible vendors.