TEST BIAS

• Explain concept of test bias

• Discuss several categories of test bias

• Discuss several types of bias

• Explain the effects of bias

• Identify the bias

• Explain types of cheating (Prior to test, During the test)

• Discuss stealing test questions (piracy)

TEST FAIRNESS

• Explain the concepts of test fairness

• Discuss the fairness framework

TEST ACCOMMODATIONS

• Explain the concept of test accommodations

• State the types of student's disabilities eligible for test accommodations

• Discuss categories of test accommodations

• List out the examples of test accommodations (in wide areas)

• Explain helpful and harmful aspects of test accommodations

What is bias

Bias is defined as the presence of some characteristic of an item that results in differential
performance for two individuals of the same ability but from different ethnic, sex, cultural or
religious groups.

Category test bias

1. Construct underrepresentation component

it's refer to the degree to which a test fails to capture important aspects of the construct.

• Too few test questions results in failure to insufficient sample the learning content in the
achievement domain desired. Consequently, the reliability of the examination suffers.

• For example, a test of reading comprehension intended to measure children’s ability to read and
interpret stories might not contain a sufficient variety of reading passages or might ignore a
common type of reading material.
 2. Construct-irrelevant component

it's refer to the degree to which test scores are affected by processes that are extraneous to the
test's intended purpose. Example: • In the case mathematics test, it might over reliance on reading
comprehension skills that english language learner may be lacking.

3. Construct validity bias

Refers to whether a test exactly measures what it was designed to measure.

For Example: On an intelligence test, for example, students who are learning English will likely
encounter words they

4. Content validity bias

 It occurs when the content of a test is comparatively more difficult for one group of students
than for others.
 It can occur when members of a student from a subgroup, such as various minority groups,
when:

 they have not been given the same opportunity to learn the material being tested

 scoring is unfair to a group

 questions are worded in ways that are unfamiliar to certain students because of linguistic
or cultural differences.

Types of bias

 Gender Bias

 Cultural Bias

 Regional Bias

 Ethnic/Racial Bias

 Language Bias

 Socio Economic Status (SES) Bias

 Special Needs Bias

Gender bias

Gender bias exists :

• prejudice for or against one gender, especially in a way considered unfair.

• it's occurs because of personal values, perceptions and outdated, traditional views about men adn
women.
• when males and females with the same skills and knowledge obtain different scores on a test.

Axman (1990)

Cultural bias

A test is culturally biased when it makes assumptions about what is “common knowledge.1”

• Examples: cultural norms and conventions, literary knowledge, conventions of language 2 ,etc. 1.

McGinley, S. (2002) .

Del Rosario B. (1998)

Regional bias

A test has regional bias when people are penalized because of the use of regional names or dialects.

Examples: sundrop, pop, bubbler, pies for pizzas (pizza pie) in NY, etc.

Ethnic & racial biases

Ethnic Bias or Racial Bias occurs 

- when members of a group are portrayed in a stereotypical manner. 

- when members of such groups obtain different scores than members of another group–with the
same skills and knowledge

Socio economic bias

 Socio-economic bias occurs in tests when students are penalized based on their socio-
economic status (SES) :
 The isolated, rural environment, the restrictive poverty of many families, and cultural ties
with a tribe or other group deny many students important knowledge of the outside world2

Popham (2006)
2. Brescia & Fortune (1988).

Language bias

Language bias in tests occurs when second language learners (L2) are penalized because of
their lack of knowledge of the English Language.

For example, by their inability to read the questions accurately, or to give proper verbal
responses

Brescia & Fortune (1988)

 Special needs bias
According to Popham (2006), a test is biased if it unfairly penalizes a group of students so
that their performance is less than that of another group of students with the same
achievement level with respect to the knowledge or skill being tested.

Popham (2006)

WHAT ARE THE AFFECTS

Emotional effects
• Students struggle with testing and its results, and they may question their own capabilities
to learn.
• They lose confidence and the ability to take risks and become embarrassed and feel the
need to “save face”.
• For children who haven’t understand English, testing in the language becomes a painful
and shame experience.

We are creating more achievement gaps between students, rather than helping them
because we are testing groups unfairly.
• Disabled students not given enough time to test.
• ELL/ESL students have limited reading skills and can’t even read the test and get no
assistance.
• Many students with special needs don’t have fair achievement measures.

HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY BIAS

 Content Bias
-fair for all examinees
• Language Bias
-Is the item free of group specific language, vocabulary, or reference pronouns
• Item Structure and Format Bias
-Are there any flaws in the items to which members of DSI (designated subgroup of interest)
are differentially sensitive?
• Stereotyping of Minorities
-Avoid material that is controversial, inflammatory, demeaning or offensive to members of
DSI.
 Is the test item fair for all examinees and free of annoying stereotypes?
• Are both sex groups recognized fairly?
• Will all examinees have equal opportunity to respond?

TYPE OF CHEATING
CHEATING PRIOR TO THE TEST
 Purchasing test items, item pools, or tests from web sites.
q Using a chat room.
q Bulletin board.
q Discussion forum to solicit.
q Collaborating with individuals who take the test during an earlier administration and then
provide test items to individuals who take the test at a later time

CHEATING DURING TEST

Strategies using various forms of soft technology to interact with others who may also be
taking the test or who are outside the testing environment.
qFind answers using “cheat” sheets.
qNot stopping when the time limit is reached.
qReviewing sections of the test before receiving directions.
qUsing calculators that are not permitted by the testing program.
qCopying other’s examinee test responses.

STEALING TEST QUESTION (PIRACY)

§ Item resellers to help other examinees to get high scores.
§ Buyer’s (i.e., the examinee) only objective is to memorize the specific content and
response options for a set of items.
§ Put the items on the Internet for resale to future test takers.
§ Tell their friends or classmates about the test.

RECAP
What are the categories of test bias?
2. How many types of cheating?

TEST FAIRNESS
CONCEPT OF TEST FAIRNESS
• Test Fairness of a test relates to fair use.
• The analytical methods that can help bring about fair tests and testing practice have not
been clearly articulated.
• Willingham and Cole (1997) and Willingham (1999) view test fairness as an important
aspect of validity, arguing that fairness should be viewed as “comparability in assessment;
more specifically, comparable validity for all individuals and groups
• Fairness in testing is defined many ways (AERA, APA, & NCME, 1999) but at its core is the
idea of comparable validity. A fair test is one that yields comparably valid inferences from
person to person and group to group.