Classroom Assessment and Diversity

Classroom assessments are a fundamental part of the daily lives of students. Teachers spend from one third to one half of their time in assessment-related activities. Students use their performances on assessments to judge their abilities and self-worth. When classroom assessments are of poor quality, teachers are likely to make poor instructional decisions, and students will not be able to judge their own progress. One critical aspect of assessment quality is the degree to which it is appropriate for the diversity of students in the [Page 390]classroom. This can be called cultural sensitivity. Its inverse is often called cultural bias.

Educational publishers have developed careful processes to ensure that instructional materials are appropriate for diverse students. Yet, despite the fact that teachers use published classroom assessments ...