Diversity and Standardized Testing

99.A form of discrimination that occurs when a test or other assessment instrument unfairly penalizes a group of students because of their gender, ethnicity, race, or socioeconomic status best describes:

a.high-stakes testing.

b.construct validity.

c.accountability.

d.assessment bias.

Use the following information for items 100-102.

A group of kindergarten students whose parents are migrant farm workers from Mexico and whose English-language skills are just developing are given a nationally normed standardized readiness test. The test uses a multiple-choice format, and the teachers have the students practice with multiple-choice items. The results of the test will be used to determine if the students will be retained in kindergarten or will be promoted to the first grade.

Several of the items on the test are designed to measure the students’ basic skills. For example, one item asks the students to identify the item that begins with the long vowel i, and students were shown pictures of a clothes iron, a shovel, a power drill, and a lawn mower as choices. The correct answer was the iron, since it begins with i.  Many of the children choose the shovel as an answer, since it is the only item on the list with which they are familiar.

  100.Based on the information in the vignette, of the following, which is the best description of the test?

a.It is a criterion-referenced test.

b.It is a high-stakes test.

c.It is an aptitude test.

d.It is an intelligence test.

  101.With respect to the test itself, which of the following is the most valid conclusion?

a.Bias in content exists in the test, since it requires background knowledge the students lacked.

b.Bias in testing procedures exists, since the students are in kindergarten and kindergarten students aren’t given standardized tests.

c.Bias in format exists, since multiple-choice tests should not be used with kindergarten students.

d.The test is not biased, since it has been nationally normed.

  102.Which of the following is the best analysis of the fact that the test will determine whether or not the students will be allowed to enter the first grade?

a.The test is not biased, since it is an objective measure of the children’s performance.

b.Bias in reliability exists, because the teachers had the students practice with the test format.

c.Bias in test use exists, since the children’s promotion depends on this single instrument.

d.Bias in test format exists because multiple-choice tests should not be used with kindergarten students.

   103.Which of the following is not a type of test bias as identified by measurement experts?

a.Bias in test use

b.Bias in test format

c.Bias in content

d.Bias in testing procedures

   104.Of the following, which is an example of accommodations suggested for use when testing special needs learners?

a.Only administering a portion of the exam instead of the entire test.

b.Allow learners to work in pairs when completing portions of the test.

c.Allow the learners to take the test home to have it administered by a parent.

d.Alter time to provide extended testing time or more frequent breaks.

   105.Which of the following are commonly cited problems with testing English language learners (ELLs)?

1.These students tend to come from low SES families.

2.These students tend to attend schools with underqualified teachers.

3.These students are given tests that have not been validated with national norms.

4.These students are placed in classes for which the requirements exceed their academic ability.

a.  1, 2, 3, 4      b. 1, 2, 3 c. 1, 2, 4     d. 1, 2

   106.Of the following, which is considered to be the most effective option when administering standardized tests with ELLs?

a.Give them the test in their native language.

b.Provide interpreters who interpret the meanings of the items as students are attempting to respond to them.

c.Allow them to use bilingual dictionaries to help them interpret unfamiliar vocabulary.

d.Focus instruction on test content, and have them practice with previously used copies of the test.