From Dollars & Sense in 2002:

But despite their sales successes, some of these start-ups—like their larger competitors—have had serious problems with quality control. Measurement Inc., a Florida-based test scoring company, guaranteed a 99% accuracy rate for scoring the essays that are now common on state achievement tests. Suspicious of that claim, Boston College’s Haney analyzed the scoring protocol and says the accuracy rate is closer to 70%, a fact that the company ultimately acknowledged.

From the Associated Press today: Firm's error causes hundreds to fail graduation test

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A testing company faces a fine after it mistakenly failed hundreds of students on Ohio's new graduation test, state education officials said Monday.

Measurement Inc. graded 1,599 tests and failed 890 students after accidentally converting raw test data to passing and failing grades, the state Education Department said.

The error was made on tests given last summer to students entering their junior and senior years, as well as students who were in 12th grade last year but haven't graduated.

Whether the test was the only thing keeping any students from graduating -- and whether anyone might have wrongly been sent back to school this fall -- wasn't immediately clear.

You tax dollars at work!