Protest of Pearson Common-Core Testing Contract Rejected

The state purchasing office in New Mexico has rejected a closely watched protest of a potentially enormous contract for common-core testing to Pearson, ruling that the bidding process was structured in a "careful and thoughtful" way, despite a rival organization's claims.

The decision by New Mexico State Purchasing Agent Lawrence O. Maxwell is a defeat for the American Institutes for Research, a Washington-based organization that argued that the bidding process was skewed to favor Pearson.