How can standardized tests be biased

Starting in , Harvard adopted the SAT to select scholarship recipients at the school. Many institutions of higher learning soon followed suit. It was developed by Francis Galton as a method of improving the human race. Binet, Terman, and Brigham stood at the intersection of powerful intellectual, ideological, and political trends a century ago when the Age of Science and standardization began, according to Troy.

By the s and s, top U. This dictum among universities to identify the brightest students as reflected by test scores did not bode well for students from communities of color, who were—as a result of widespread bias in testing—disproportionately failing state or local high school graduation exams, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing FairTest.

High-stakes testing also causes additional damage to some students who are categorized as English language learners ELLs. The tests are often inaccurate for ELLs, according to FairTest, leading to misplacement or retention. ELLs are, alongside students with disabilities, those least likely to pass graduation tests.

African-Americans, especially males, are disproportionately placed or misplaced in special education, frequently based on test results. In effect, the use of high-stakes testing perpetuates racial inequality through the emotional and psychological power of the tests over the test takers. These biases have long-ranging and damaging consequences not only for students, their families but also the economic well-being of their communities.

Popular private school ratings systems such as GreatSchools. Their rankings are based largely on standardized test scores and are fed into national real estate web sites. According to a study of GreatSchools ratings, a reas with highly-rated schools usually see increases in home prices. Moving forward, the focus should be on promoting authentic assessments that reflect the broad range of students learning and skills, including creativity, leadership, critical thinking, and collaboration.

This was a conversation that drove many of the educator-led victories in the years before the pandemic. Joining forces with families and other allies, educators worked diligently to reduce the over-reliance and misuse of testing and shift the focus to fairer, more effective assessment systems that actually support the academic, social and emotional needs of their students.

Skip Navigation We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, provide ads, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. From grade school to college, students of color have suffered from the effects of biased testing. It was not his fault that he did not have the educational resources and if given a chance with a change his environment e.

In this view, test scores reflect societal inequalities and can punish students who are less privileged, and are often erroneously interpreted as a reflection of a fixed inherited capacity.

Researchers typically consider bias in more technical ways and three issues will be discussed: item content and format; accuracy of predictions, and stereotype threat. Item content and format. Test items may be harder for some groups than others. An example of social class bias in a multiple choice item asked students the meaning of the term field. The students were asked to read the initial sentence in italics and then select the response that had the same meaning of field Popham , p.

The correct answer is 4. Testing companies try to minimize these kinds of content problems by having test developers from a variety of backgrounds review items and by examining statistically if certain groups find some items easier or harder. However, problems do exist and a recent analyses of the verbal SAT tests indicated that whites tend to scores better on easy items whereas African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans score better on hard items Freedle, While these differences are not large, they can influence test scores.

Researchers think that the easy items involving words that are used in every day conversation may have subtly different meanings in different subcultures whereas the hard words e. Test format can also influence test performance. Females typically score better at essay questions and when the SAT recently added an essay component, the females overall SAT verbal scores improved relative to males Hoover, Standardized tests are used among other criteria to determine who will be admitted to selective colleges.

This practice is justified by predictive validity evidence—i. Recent studies have demonstrated that the predictions for black and Latino students are less accurate than for white students and that predictors for female students are less accurate than male students Young, However, perhaps surprisingly the test scores tend to slightly over predict success in college for black and Latino students, i.

In contrast, test scores tend to slightly under predict success in college for female students, i. Studies have shown that test performance of stereotyped groups e.

African Americans, Latinos, women declines when it is emphasized to those taking the test that a the test is high stakes, measures intelligence or math and b they are reminded of their ethnicity, race or gender e. Even if individuals believe they are competent, stereotype threat can reduce working memory capacity because individuals are trying to suppress the negative stereotypes. Stereotype threat seems particularly strong for those individuals who desire to perform well.

Standardized test scores of individuals from stereotyped groups may significantly underestimate actual their competence in low-stakes testing situations.

There is evidence that schools and teachers adjust the curriculum so it reflects what is on the tests and also prepares students for the format and types of items on the test.

Several surveys of elementary school teachers indicated that more time was spent on mathematics and reading and less on social studies and sciences in than Jerald, Principals in high minority enrollment schools in four states reported in they had reduced time spent on the arts. Recent research in cognitive science suggests that reading comprehension in a subject e. Here are a few of the paper topics:.

At the end of , more than 1, seniors completed a survey about their experience with the capstone project. The most remarkable fact about the data is what we see when we disaggregate by race and language proficiency. This positive trend holds true in all areas we assessed—research skills, writing skills, and being a proactive learner. We have become overly reliant on a system of standardized testing that continues to produce the results it was designed to get—a spread of scores that maps neatly to race and socio-economic factors.

These test scores, in turn, justify closing schools in poor communities of color and barring Black and Latinx students from educational opportunities, and thereby, from jobs that support a middle-class life. COVID has caused disruptions around the world and in every area of our lives. In these moments of uncertainty, we are seeking new ways of being and acting.

At some point, hopefully soon, when the pandemic ends, I look forward to some aspects of life as I had known it—enjoying a night out with friends, offering hugs and handshakes, and convening teachers for professional learning. For another perspective on addressing a history of structural racism through performance assessments, read Lisa Martinez of Future Focused Education's article on designing anti-racist senior capstones for New Mexico communities.

Young Whan Choi has been a public school teacher in New York City, Providence, RI, and Oakland, CA, during which time he has developed expertise in project-based learning, curriculum design, and school-based internships.

Currently, he is Manager of Performance Assessments for Oakland Unified School District where he leads the Ethnic Studies program and supports schools to provide high quality instruction through a performance system aligned to a rigorous and meaningful capstone project.

He is the producer and host of The Young and the Woke podcast. Challenges Challenge and fund me. Community Inspire me and connect me. Resources Inform and help me. Initiatives Guide me to action. Reimagining Assessment.