Email, Brandon Pinette, media relations manager, Pearson, Sept. 30, 2014

2:06 p.m.

Please see the statement below in response to your inquiry.

Under strict oversight of the Texas Education Agency, all STAAR tests are scored by highly qualified evaluators who are subjected to a rigorous and comprehensive search, evaluation, and training regimen.

• To ensure only the most qualified candidates are selected, each applicant must have at least a 4-year degree from an accredited university and undergo rigorous training developed and supervised by TEA.
• Among recent applicants, only 11% met the state's high standards and training requirements.
• Of those selected, 71% had at least one-year of classroom teaching experience, 83% had writing-intensive 4-year degrees, and 27% had a degree in English.
• To ensure these job opportunities are made available to as many applicants as possible, Pearson promotes these employment opportunities among a variety of education organizations, print and online publications, government agencies, and popular online job search engines and websites. These outlets include the National Council of Teachers of English, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Education Week, the Texas Workforce Commission, the University of Texas at Austin, CareerBuilder.com, Craigslist, among others.

Thank you,

Brandon