Equity and Excellence in Educational Testing and Assessment

The reader of this book will gain a greater understanding of contemporary equity issues in educational testing and assessment and to learn to examine these issues in the context of educational reform. The book focuses on the following four issues: (1) the growing prominence that educational testing and assessment are playing in American education; (2) the effect that current testing and assessment policies and practices are having upon minority and disadvantaged students and school systems; (3) the new and innovative approaches to testing and assessment and their prospects for promoting educational equity, educational reform and accountability; and (4) the actions that need to be taken in order to achieve equity in testing and assessment in the nation's schools. The goal is to identify and begin addressing some of the disadvantages faced by many Americans in their pursuit of high-quality education and training.
The book explores some of the factors that contribute to the gaps in student achievement along racial and social class lines, and offers ideas for improving the measurement of America's diverse population of students. Some of the chapters focus on how the field of educational testing is changing to include new types of assessment practices and policies, and new types of testing and assessment instruments. Innovations in educational testing and assessment include student exhibitions, portfolios, performance tasks, and essay writing, all of which are being advanced both for in-classroom and in-school use as well as for purposes of public accountability. Some of the public policy innovations include the following: awarding federal funding and recognition based upon student performance on tests and assessments; national government approval of the assessments that states, school districts, and schools use; and national approval and sanctioning of the standards that will be measured by educational tests and assessments.