Following their first year of advanced study, two samples of students were polled. Study one analyzed the attitudes of 4,248 studnets toward the admission test they had taken: Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Admission Test for Graduate Study in Business, or the Miller…

The results obtained by three test administration modes were examined with a focus upon systematic bias due to lack of standardization of test administration procedures. The My Class Inventory was administered to ninety classrooms of fifth grade students in a large suburban school district. The 45 items on the inventory are distributed over five…

The role of testing has received a great deal of criticism over the years. Some steps have been taken to develop more universal items into the test. One innovation was the introduction of the multiple choice exam. Yet even with this type of aptitude test, the majority of questions and plausible answers have become quite involved and intense. All…

The alternative suggested is comprised of three elements: 1) Working toward changes in attitudes of people and institutions to directly attack discriminatory applications of tests; 2) Emphasizing test validation and development by new test instruments oriented to the needs of disadvantaged applicants; and, 3) Eliminating discriminatory selection…

Contrary to popular opinion, it is very difficult to find any objective evidence of culture bias that could account for social class and racial differences in performance on current standard tests of intelligence, even those like the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), which give the appearance of being highly culture-loaded. They may be…

In this study, FairTest evaluated how well state assessment practices live up to the promise of high standards without standardization. The practices of states were measured against standards derived from the "Principles and Indicators for Student Assessment Systems," a 1995 publication of education and civil rights groups working…

FairTest evaluated how well state assessment practices live up to the promise of high standards without standardization. The practices of states were measured against standards derived from the "Principles and Indicators for Student Assessment Systems," a 1995 publication of education and civil rights groups working through the National…

The article briefly reviews the factors that may contribute to the relatively low educational achievement of Mexican American students, and focuses more specifically on recent literature that illuminates what may be a style of learning and problem solving that is unique to members of this group. (DLS)

Reports on an exploration of gender bias in the multiple-choice portions of six Canadian social studies examinations. Considers the lack of women's experiences reflected in the questions, formal content, and epistemological stance. Concludes that gender biases do exist in the questions and may have contributed to differences in achievement. (MJP)

Discrepancies between court and professional association views of licensing examinations are discussed. Litigation associated with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and constitutional law is considered. Courts should examine professional standards and apply those that are consistent with the court's determination of the proper…

Relationship between ability tests and race and issues of famous lawsuits concerning possible bias in intelligence tests are summarized. Reasons for the origins of ethnic and racial differences in general intellectual ability are considered. Prospects for the reduction of group differences and conflicts are discussed. (SLD)

This paper reviews the literature on assessment bias issues in special education. While assessment instruments yielding a single IQ score are seen as useful components in a comprehensive multifactored assessment, and are the primary tool of diagnosis for mental retardation, they are found to be irrelevant when applied to students with learning…

This document presents results of research to investigate bias and fairness in apprentice selection procedures used in South Africa. Chapter 1 discusses the aim of the project and summarizes the report's contents. Chapter 2 presents a brief overview of the contents of five interim reports. "Investigation of Apprentice Evaluation Procedures…

This study assessed the usefulness of the dynamic testing approach to optimize testing procedures by reducing or eliminating bias, conceived of as error in measurement attributable to factors entering into performance which were not the target of the assessment. The study examined: (1) whether the dynamic assessment approach yields information…

Theoretically preferred item response theory (IRT) bias detection procedures were applied to both a mathematics achievement and vocabulary test. The data were from black seniors and white seniors on the High School and Beyond data files. We wished to account for statistical artifacts by conducting cross-validation or replication studies.…