In many countries, standardized math tests are important for achieving academic success. Here, we examine whether content of items, the story that explains a mathematical question, biases performance of low-SES students. In a large-scale cohort study of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS)--including data from 58…

Despite the emergence of test-optional policies, standardized admission tests continue shaping the college composition and financial aid prospects of hundreds of thousands of students. This is concerning for the following reasons: (a) standardized test results have historically favored test-takers from wealthier and majority backgrounds, (b) test…

The zero-sum game of education is supported by the implementation standardized testing in a manner that disenfranchises Black students. While assessments are accountability tools for ensuring rigorous teaching and for measuring student learning, the impact of these tests on students' identity needs to be examined. The demands of a knowledge-based…

Postcolonial studies have long identified history curriculum as a site of empire building. High stakes exams like the Global History Regents Exam in New York (NYGHR) undoubtedly impact curriculum but have yet to be examined through a postcolonial lens. This study evaluates to what extent, if at all, the NYGHR perpetuates eurocentrism as defined by…

Background: Inequality along racial and economic dimensions is well-documented and widespread in educational contexts. Achievement gaps are observed among children as early as primary school and are especially notable in standardized testing (Fryer & Levitt, 2004; Fryer & Levitt, 2013; Bond & Lang 2013). In response, some observers and…

A court decision in California, Larry P. v. Riles (1979) case, ruled in favor of African American students who were disproportionately and wrongly placed in special education (E.M.R. -- educable mentally retarded) classes. Standardized intelligence tests were biased, discriminatory and failed to identify the academic need to support African…

Studies that focus on measurement invariance are of significant importance in proving the validation of high-stake tests, and in order to provide fairness from the results of these exams for special needs students. The aim of this study is to examine the measurement invariance of the "Central Examination for Secondary Education…

An increasing number of postsecondary institutions in the United States have introduced test-optional admissions policies primarily due to criticism of standardized admissions tests as potentially biased predictors of student success. However, the impact of the test-optional movement is largely unknown and continues to evolve amid the COVID-19…

Multiple-choice tests are widely used in education, often for high-stakes assessment purposes. Consequently, these tests should be constructed following the highest standards. Many efforts have been undertaken to advance item-writing guidelines intended to improve tests. One important issue is the unwanted effects of the options' position on test…

Multilingual children represent a rapidly growing population of students in U.S. schools. However, identification of language and learning disabilities for students from different linguistic backgrounds is complex, leading to frequent misidentification of multilingual learners for special education. This article provides guidance on how special…

Older schoolchildren typically perform better on academic achievement tests than younger students in the same classes. Studies looking at an array of countries, grade spans, and subjects have found that age differences of even a few months do matter. Relative-age effects introduce an arbitrary bias that favors older students. These effects are a…

Without question, faculty (regardless of discipline) should be equipped with the necessary skills to assess students fairly and ethically. This study focuses on the central and prevailing importance of faculty judgment and how that judgment (or lack thereof) influences perceptions related to ethics and assessment of students. The study outlines…

Public schools in the U.S. today are educating more students from language and racial/ethnic minority backgrounds and from lower socioeconomic groups. Schools, however, have a long history of providing inequitable educational opportunities that disadvantage low income students and students of color who are increasingly segregated in under-funded…

One of the major claims of the report of University of California's Task Force on Standardized Testing is that SAT and ACT scores are superior to high-school grades in predicting how students will perform at UC. This finding has been widely reported in the news media and cited in several editorials favoring UC's continued use of SAT/ACT scores in…

Despite the often-negative discussion about testing in schools, assessments are a necessary and useful tool in the teaching and learning process. This is especially true when it comes to diagnostic and formative assessments, which give teachers real-time direction for what students need to learn to master course content. It is this space where the…