Analyzes the simplified approach to applying the Cleary Model of personnel selection tests recommended by Lawshe (1983) and Reynolds (1980, 1982). Analysis indicated that the simplified method can produce misleading results. (LLL)

Students Against Testing, a Brown University student group that seeks to either abolish or reform the Scholastic Aptitude Test is discussed. As a result of a letter-writing drive, students on at least 50 campuses are seriously considering starting similar efforts next fall. (MLW)

Discusses guidelines for fairness in employee selection required by the Federal Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, and presents a simplified procedure for the evaluation of fairness which is more easily explained than the classical Cleary model. (JAC)

This paper is an overview of some points made at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association in April of 1987. Gender effects were computed on 82 nationally standardized tests designed to determine precocity among youth. The effect sizes ranged from a magnitude of 0.50 (favoring females) for spelling in grade 12 on the…

Critics of standardized tests support new legislation to provide breakdowns of test results by sex, race, and ethnic group, confident they will find evidence of bias. (MSE)

Examines the legal issues concerning (1) cultural bias in educational tests; (2) the validity of employment tests; and (3) the disclosure of test materials. Discusses the legal interpretations of psychometric concepts that have arisen from recent litigation. (Author/GC)

Presents a rationale for the use of local norms and a procedure, illustrated with an example, for updating a norm group's test score mean and variance. Local norms can be more recent, relevant, and representative for local groups. (Author)

C. M. Steele and J. Aronson (1995) showed that making race salient when taking a difficult test affected the performance of high-ability African American students, a phenomenon they termed stereotype threat. The authors document that this research is widely misinterpreted in both popular and scholarly publications as showing that eliminating…

Abolishing standards underlying teacher competency testing to reverse bias against minorities actually results in lowered expectations and excuses poor performance. Rather, we should advocate educational progress for Black children at all educational levels. Better preparation of current students will eventually result in an improved and larger…

A conception of invalidity as bias is related to content validity for standardized achievement tests. A method of estimating content bias for each of three content domains (a priori, curricular, and instructional) based on the specification of a content taxonomy is also proposed. (Author/CM)

Reviews the evaluation by the National Academy of Science (NAS) of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB), which was developed to predict the job performance of potential employees. Proposes that the NAS recommendation to correct the GATB's racial bias by "race-norming" was a political decision and not scientifically justified. (FMW)

Presents an overview of litigation pertaining to the use of tests in public employment. Provides guidelines for the development of teacher testing programs within legal parameters. (KH)

Argues that the typical psychometric model of human intelligence is limited because the database fails to take account of the many manifestations of intelligent behavior that are displayed in the world outside the testing room. Suggests that cognitive processes are influenced by test situation or setting and examiner's level of expertise. (PS)

The belief that large segments of the population cannot learn what others learn, or do so much less rapidly, is predominant in our educational system. For schools to educate all children effectively, changes must occur in school ideology, structure, and instructional practices. (GC)

Defines test bias as a phenomenon in which test scores result in negative outcomes for certain groups, often lower socioeconomic groups and minorities. Discusses three manifestations of test bias including content, atmosphere, and use bias and presents recommendations for remedying bias problems in testing the culturally different. (JAC)