ACT sets retest date for students whose exams were lost

ACT will allow students whose exams were lost after taking the test at Upper Darby High School in September to take a retest for free on Nov. 1.

The test will be at Penn Wood High school in Lansdowne.

All 182 students also will receive a refund for the tests that were lost, said Ed Colby, a spokesman for the Iowa-based testing service.

Colby said ACT continues to look for the exams that were supposedly mailed on Sept. 15 by the ACT-hired testing coordinator.The company has been looking for two weeks, Colby said.

Meanwhile, Congressman Patrick Meehan said on Thursday that he is seeking answers from the U.S. Postmaster General. Along with California Congressman Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which has jurisdiction over the postal service, Meehan wrote a letter to Patrick R. Donahoe,  postmaster general and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service.

"As you know, standardized tests, such as the ACT, are a major aspect of the college application process and if the tests are not located soon it will severely hamper that ability of many of these students to apply for colleges, particularly with some application deadlines as early as November 1, 2014," the congressmen wrote.  "With this in mind, we write to request that the Postal Service investigate this matter to determine if these exams can be found and how they were lost. We, as well as the affected students and their families, appreciate your prompt attention to this pressing issue."

Parents whose children took the test continue to express anger that the company didn't alert them to a problem earlier. Some students had hoped to send the scores along with their Early Action college applications that carry a Nov. 1 deadline.

"I am angry that I found out by reading your article," wrote Michelle Crowley, a social studies teacher at Friends Central Middle School in Wynnewood, whose daughter was affected. "ACT has not bothered to contact any of these families."

Mark Caplan, whose son attends Lower Merion High School, said his son contacted ACT multiple times by phone and chat "and was blatantly lied to each time. His latest call was yesterday where the woman said he should know something in 3-5 business days.  No mention of lost scores. Obviously they are trying to pass the buck and not take responsibility.

"I hope you aggressively pursue this story because heads should roll.  This has an incredible impact on students futures.  ACT's offer to refund the $54 and call it even is a joke.  It's not about the money (which is all they are about).  It's about kids who worked their tails off and deserve what they signed up for, a score they could send to the colleges of their choice."

Caplan said ACT should have a back up system in case the exams get lost in the mail.

Another parent wrote: "My kid is a high school senior who holds down two jobs and has a heavy course load, and now has to find the time to study for the exams again. An advantage to taking a September exam, in addition to an early submission with her college apps, was that the studying did not interfere with her other responsibilities."