Problems continued Thursday during the second scheduled stress test of the online ISTEP system.
This week's stress test — the second after a similar test in January failed — was meant to ensure the system will work smoothly when the online portion of the ISTEP is administered to 470,000 Indiana students in April.
"It was a complete disaster," said West Lafayette Community School Corp. Superintendent Rocky Killion, summarizing a report from the district's technology staff at Happy Hollow Elementary School. "Kids did not get through it. Computers were freezing up. Everything was shutting down."
Similar problems, although less severe, happened at Cumberland Elementary and West Lafayette Jr.-Sr. High schools, Killion said.
Lafayette School Corp. assistant superintendent John Layton said his district experienced similar issues.
"Computers have been freezing, kids have been getting kicked off the computers," he said. "Things went along pretty well for about 20 minutes and then began to freeze up."
Tippecanoe School Corp. assistant superintendent Christy Fraley said that although the trial run went better than January's stress test, problems persisted.