Three correlation matrices (PEARSON, POLYCHORIC, and TOBIT) were used to obtain reliability estimates on ordered polytomous variable models. A Monte Carlo study with different levels of variable asymmetry and 400 sample correlation matrices demonstrated that the PEARSON matrix did not perform as well as did the other 2 matrices. (SLD)

Describes the Second International Science Study. Analyzes several variables mitigating the interpretative power of the study, including different needs and agendas, cultural bias, equivalence of data, data analysis, student retention rates, comparability of target populations, and test validity. (YP)

This discussion of psychoeducational assessment of hearing-impaired students and the influence of language competence focuses on: the nature of the interaction between cognition and language, the nonpragmatic nature of traditional assessments, approaches to reducing intelligence test bias, pragmatic violations in intellectual assessment, and…

Highlights biases, that is, learning styles and test bias, involved in testing low income Blacks with norm-referenced achievement tests. Offers suggestions to assist counselors in improving their students' test performance. (Author)

Examines issues related to assessing bilingual preschool children who are developing language skills in neither their mother tongue nor English. Explores the importance of culturally unbiased assessment. Presents a case study of a bilingual preschooler with a suspected language disorder to demonstrate the inadequacy of current assessment…

A study of 219 college students' ratings of teacher performance found that student raters' inferences about instruction are partly contaminated by their implicit theories of effective instructional behavior. Students inferred traits and behaviors and rated corresponding items even when instructor behavior was limited to a subset of performance…

Standardized tests in speech and language may be culturally biased for use with rural children. Recommends (1) training school personnel for cultural awareness; (2) purchasing culture-free tests; (3) developing local norms and conducting item analyses on tests; (4) identifying bias and modifying testing procedures; (5) accepting dialectical…

This article examines special problems in assessing young blind children resulting from their great heterogeneity. Case studies are offered to illustrate the irresponsibility of applying standardized tests developed for sighted populations to blind children who have very different experiential backgrounds. Positive principles for assessment of the…

A two-parameter logistic regression model for personnel selection is proposed. The model was tested with a database of 84,808 military enlistees. The probability of job success was related directly to trait levels, addressing such topics as selection, validity generalization, employee classification, selection bias, and utility-based fair…

Standardized examinations do not measure teacher competence because good teaching requires skills which cannot be measured accurately by standardized tests. Overreliance on standardized testing contributes to racial discrimination and exclusion of ethnic minorities from educational and professional opportunities. (IAH)

The nonprofit corporation that performs standardized testing for law school admission has in recent years produced $100 million in profits. For minority groups who tend to score poorly on the test, the question is why the corporation refuses to dedicate some of its wealth to commissioning an independent study of whether test results correlate with…

Reviews relationship of IQ scores to race and gender. Explores the logic that supports the use of intelligence testing to discriminate and to exclude. Argues that default assumptions allow researchers to remain unaware of the subtle adverse impact of their research. Includes recommendations to encourage a broader understanding of intelligence.…

Two studies investigated a brief, processing-dependent, nonword repetition task, designed to minimize biases associated with traditional language tests. Results revealed that nonword repetition distinguished between school-age children independently identified as language impaired or normally developing, suggesting its potential usefulness as a…

In 1994 the Federation of State Medical Boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners instituted a three-step U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Step one of the USMLE may be vulnerable to legal challenge on the basis of minority group bias and lack of construct validity. (SLD)

The cultures of accountability and validity are at odds in high-stakes testing. When the polis demands that tests serve high-stakes accountability functioning, professional testing standards are often compromised. Using flawed indicators can produce unreliable, unrepresentative inferences and decisions. High-stakes testing produces teaching and…