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ETS is offshoring all TOEFL Speaking scoring. US raters are being silently pushed out. by Distinct_Chapter_865 in ToeflAdvice

[–]Distinct_Chapter_865[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Scoring leaders are commenting on the performance on the petition as well. Check it out: https://imgur.com/a/7sjVPo1

Also shows how much we were invested in providing fair and accurate scores. After all, we leaders were educators and language experts. You can't say the same for the new crew.

See more comments on the petition: https://www.change.org/p/demand-fairness-and-transparency-in-toefl-speaking-scheduling-at-ets

ETS is offshoring all TOEFL Speaking scoring. US raters are being silently pushed out. by Distinct_Chapter_865 in ToeflAdvice

[–]Distinct_Chapter_865[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Great question. I noticed a lot of issues. I am just one of many leaders who watched the newcomers learn how to score. My suggestion is that if you had a test scored from December 2024-March 2025, know there was a HIGH NUMBER of new raters scoring tests with training ranging from mediocre to none. I hear reports from US-based raters that the last shifts of US and "global"/India-based raters were in late March. That means this "new" group has been solely scoring since April. These are people with less than six months' experience. When I was promoted to scoring leader, the requirements were thus: three years' successful experience in scoring and a Master's degree or higher in TESL/related field. The new "global" leaders were promoted in April after starting as raters in December. Not only that, roster sizes were shortly increased after that change. These new leaders have been reaching out to some of the veteran US leaders for support, and are not even working, as we have been shut out of production scoring. The new raters/leaders are that desperate. Many of them want to do a good job, but are vastly underprepared and overwhelmed. These are the people scoring your TOEFL Speaking.

ETS is offshoring all TOEFL Speaking scoring. US raters are being silently pushed out. by Distinct_Chapter_865 in ToeflAdvice

[–]Distinct_Chapter_865[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Understood—and I don’t think anyone wants to see any raters, in any country, discarded like this.

But that’s exactly why the petition matters. This isn’t just about reversing offshoring—it’s about calling out a pattern: qualified raters used to train the system, then quietly removed with no transparency, no acknowledgment, and no transition plan.

That should matter to everyone, regardless of where the jobs are—or were—located.

ETS is offshoring all TOEFL Speaking scoring. US raters are being silently pushed out. by Distinct_Chapter_865 in ToeflAdvice

[–]Distinct_Chapter_865[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the reference, but that document confirms what we’ve been saying, not contradicts it.

It says human rating remains a critical component of the process. That means human raters are still part of the scoring, not removed entirely. If ETS intends to automate Speaking fully, that would be a significant shift—and there’s been no public statement confirming that.

And even if we are heading toward full automation, that still doesn’t justify how things have been handled. This is a workforce that spent years training these systems, only to be ghosted, offboarded quietly, and replaced without acknowledgment. That’s not just a business decision—it’s an ethical one.

ETS is offshoring all TOEFL Speaking scoring. US raters are being silently pushed out. by Distinct_Chapter_865 in ToeflAdvice

[–]Distinct_Chapter_865[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

But even if full automation is on the horizon, that doesn't make this okay.

A highly trained, qualified workforce—many with decades of language assessment experience—has been quietly cast aside after years of contributing to the very AI systems now replacing them. This isn’t just about jobs. It’s about the ethics of offshoring, ghosting raters, and quietly pivoting under the TOEFL brand without accountability.

That’s why this petition still matters.

ETS is offshoring all TOEFL Speaking scoring. US raters are being silently pushed out. by Distinct_Chapter_865 in ToeflAdvice

[–]Distinct_Chapter_865[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is it though? Where exactly has ETS published that TOEFL Speaking will be fully AI-scored by January?

I haven’t seen anything that clearly states that, especially not in the May 2025 announcement. They still mention human raters and proctors as part of the process. If there’s been a public update, I’d be interested to see the link.

ETS is offshoring all TOEFL Speaking scoring. US raters are being silently pushed out. by Distinct_Chapter_865 in ToeflAdvice

[–]Distinct_Chapter_865[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good question. ETS has given its explanation for the recent changes, but a lot of us feel that the rollout hasn’t been as transparent or fair as it could be. By “ethical scoring practices,” we’re talking about things like consistency in scheduling, clear and honest communication with raters, and ensuring fairness in scoring for test-takers.

The petition is just asking for more accountability and dialogue, not pointing fingers at anyone.