The study explored religious education (RE), Islamic and Christian, in the Arab world and its role in qualifying students to university education, taking Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Egypt as models. A controversy about the validity of RE as a bridge to university education in the Arab world provided the impetus to carry out the present study. Using…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 (Public Law 114-95) requires each state to create a plan for its statewide accountability system. In particular, ESSA calls for state plans that include strategies for reporting education outcomes by grade for all students and for economically disadvantaged students, students from major racial and…

The study found that the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) was valid in predicting reading, mathematics, and written expression for Black, Hispanic, and White male students referred for special education services. The K-ABC scores were not valid predictors, however, of written language achievement for referred females. (Author/DB)

Addressing concerns of some Alaska educators and parents about the fairness of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), this paper clarifies what can be expected of norm-referenced tests and examines the extent to which the results of the Alaska Statewide Student Assessment may be affected by test bias. Although some test items may ask questions…

Focusing on educational resources, this report describes part two of the Curriculum Branch's audit of the programs of studies, guides, textbooks, and resources of Alberta, Canada, which was undertaken (1) to determine the adequacy of the ways in which tolerance and respect for minority groups are addressed and fostered, (2) to identify areas where…

Numerous strategies have been used throughout the years to test cultural groups. This paper grew out of the need to find and use standardized tests that would depict accurately the performance of various cultural groups in America. In order to make judgments about performance, it is wise to examine the theoretical structure from which most of the…

The paper discusses test bias; presents the rationale of the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA), a test instrument which assumes equal cultural and racial intellectual potential but asserts that there is not one normal curve of measured intellectual performance; and suggests that the test would correct racial and cultural test…

A selective review of literature on the revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) is presented to relate research results to test interpretation. Included are inferences drawn from factor analyses, subtest specificity, subtest profiles for some exceptional populations assessment of minority group children, and IQ differences…

This study follows a 1980 moratorium on group mental ability testing called by the district's superintendent when questions relating to the informational value and cost-effectiveness of the Otis Lennon Mental Ability Test (OLMA) were raised by the Oklahoma City Public School District. Criticisms of intelligence tests and relevant issues are…

Reviews legal arguments used to challenge traditional testing programs in prior litigation and indicates how these arguments might be applied in a performance-assessment application. Examines discrimination challenges to performance assessments in employment contexts. Suggests ways to deal with the psychometric issues most likely to be encountered…

Argues that general semantics research into prejudice has made only minor contributions to an understanding of prejudice because of weak experimental designs. Suggests improvements in research methodology and urges that knowledge of the semantic world of minority groups be sought as a prerequisite to eliminating cultural bias in standardized…

Summarizes plaintiffs' and defendants' opinions in the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) case concerning why some minority students fail TAAS, history of racial/ethnic discrimination in Texas schools, students' opportunity to learn TAAS content, teaching-TAAS alignment, adverse impact on minority students, psychometric integrity, decision…

For the most part, standardized tests are verbal and presuppose that the test takers know the language, culture, and values of the test makers, who usually represent white, middle class language and values. The communication problems that minority groups face when taking standardized tests include phonological biases (especially when the tests are…

Applies four measures of disparate impact (four-fifths rule, Hazelwood rule, Shoben rule, and rule of practical significance) to Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) performance data for racial/ethnic groups. Compares findings to data on school quality and math course completion by racial/ethnic group. (Contains 21 references.) (SV)

Examines changing population demographics in the United States, including shifting student demographic projections, and discusses student-testing issues resulting from these changes. The article reviews the historical context of testing ethnic students, testing special-education students, regulatory issues surrounding the testing of ethnic pupils,…