Abstract Culture and background may lead to the inaccuracy of assessments, including
traditional tests and alternative assessments. Standardized tests intend to measure intelligence and general knowledge, but they are normed based on the knowledge and values of the majority groups, which can create bias against minority groups, including gender, race, community status, and persons with different language backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and culture. Although alternative assess- ments are considered to be more culturally fair, they are still not completely fair. Creativity is as important as intelligence, and creativity assessment measures are normed on individual cultures. To reduce bias, we suggest that creativity assess- ments be added to traditional tests and alternative assessments.
Key Words: assessment, cultural bias, creativity, standardized tests, cul- tural validity
STANDARDIZED TESTS
Standardized tests assert that they are fair and impartial measures of academic performance and have become the most prevalent measures of the quality of
educational programs. The U.S. No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) required standardized testing of students at all levels of education: elementary, middle, and high school. The NCLBA implemented a federally –mandated testing pro- tocol that continues under the Race to the Top (RttT). Government agencies use these tests to determine that the various school systems in the U.S. equally serve every child, no matter their cultural background. However, performance gaps on standardized tests between ethnic minority groups (African American,
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Latino, and Native American) and non-minority groups (mostly white/European American, but lately also Asian American students) in the U.S. prevail despite the government’s effort to reduce them (Arbuthnot, 2009; Forum for Education and Democracy, 2008; Salinas & Garr, 2009; U.S. Department of Education, 2005).
Method bias may contribute to performance gaps between ethnic minority groups and non-minority groups in the U. S. due to the norming process of standardized tests. In general, most tests are normed using the scores of majority group populations. It may be inappropriate to use the same assessments with indi- viduals of various racial/ethnic minority groups without norming the instrument to reflect those groups. If the cultural or linguistic backgrounds of the individuals being tested are not adequately represented in the norming group, the validity and reliability of the test are questionable when used with such individuals (Pa- dilla & Borsato, 2008). For example, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) used an analogy with the word “regatta” that few African American students knew while many Caucasian counterparts were familiar with the word. Such groups may be denied access to educational and career opportunities if these tests produce inac- curate scores of knowledge and ability. In this review, we explore the possibility of expanding current testing practices to include creativity assessment. Such tests produce more uniform scores across ethnic and racial groups because they are normed for specific groups (Kim, in press; Torrance, 1977).