The need for appropriate diagnostic and measurement tools for Hispanics and other minority students is emphasized by: (1) problems experienced in properly placing students in language programs as mandated by the provisions of the 1974 "Lau versus Nichols" court decision; (2) the likelihood that Hispanic students will perform poorly in current…

An overview is presented of the current status of competency testing for teacher certification. The question of the effect of certification tests on the quality of hired teachers is briefly discussed. Statistics are presented on types of tests used by various states, with particular attention to differences in the cut-off scores for passage of a…

This symposium examines recent research on sex restrictiveness as a potential indicator of sex bias. Two specific questions are addressed: (1) Can useful non-sex-restrictive raw score interest scales be constructed? Research results are reported for more than 10,000 persons in six samples including 9th graders, 11th graders, college-bound…

Examines six areas of controversy surrounding testing--test validity, the role of affective objectives, criterion-referenced tests, test bias, IQ tests, and the effect of competition. (IRT)

The four papers in this collection were drawn from a symposium convened to review the state of the art in speaking and listening assessment at all educational levels and to suggest strategies for addressing the technical issues, particularly those relating to test bias and the use of rating scales, that speaking and listening assessors often face.…

This booklet is planned to help teachers, parents, students, and community members to understand concepts and research relating to testing in public schools. Three general uses--public access, accountability, and standards--relate to testing in its broadest conception. The major purposes of tests are discussed, as are some different types of…

Issues surrounding the concept of nonbiased assessment, particularly with economically disadvantaged minority students, are analyzed. The legal requirements are focused on thorough discussion of litigation and legislation. The second section explores research on the use of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). Research…

The author suggests that the scoring criteria for the Draw-A-Woman Scale of the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test reflect outmoded images and attitudes of the female. The woman-as-sex-object image is called the "Barbee Doll Mentality." This suggestion was tested in a sample of eleven to thirteen-year old sixth graders. The children--44 boys…

This article discusses the potential for discrimination inherent in competency-based testing and suggests some provisions which might be included in a fair competency-based program. Discussed are: (1) racial discrimination; (2) inadequate phase-in periods; (3) tests which are not reliable or have not been validated; (4) inadequate matching of the…

Contained in this resource listing are materials available on sex role stereotyping. The materials focus on research reports, books, manuals and audiovisual materials relevant to the field. The list is divided into 12 sections for easy access: Audio Visual Materials, Bibliographies, Careers, Teaching, Counseling, Curricular Materials, Language,…

This program of research has three general thrusts. First, the relations between motivation and achievement performance were studied across children of various sociocultural backgrounds including lower- and middle- class white, black, and hispanic children. Motivational test bias was found to be strong for students of all sociocultural…

This paper examines the issue of employment discrimination and the position taken by the Government in an attempt to stop discrimination in employment. Presented is a survey of seven appellate cases. Each of them represents a case in which the issue of the adequacy of test validity studies is questioned. In six of the seven cases, the use of tests…

We should seek an updated perspective on intelligence testing because it is useful to reevaluate any practice that has long become institutionalized, especially one that is subject to severe criticism. Cultural bias is the most prominent criticism. Testing proponents contend that intelligence tests reflect skills and knowledge emphasized in school…

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…

Different viewpoints regarding educational testing are described. While some people advocate continuing reliance upon standardized tests, others favor the discontinuation of such achievement and intelligence tests. The author recommends a moderate view somewhere between these two extremes. Problems associated with standardized testing in the…