Ethical Considerations in Testing

Assessment initially seemed like a dry subject, necessary but consuming valuable instruction time. After a semester-long course addressing the plethora of assessments and their purposes, my perspective--needless to say--has shifted substantially. I recognize now the critical role testing plays in determining placement and provision of services. Assessmentsof which I was initally unaware were equally--if not more so--high-stakes than what is typically categorized under that term. As a result of the power given to assessments' results in shaping children's educational futures, adminstrators need to be especailly careful and cognizant of the ethical dimension to testing to avoid misapplying or misinterpreting test results.

The American Psychological Association has prepared a Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education, providing guidelines for test givers and takers alike. The text's authors, the Joint Committee on Testing Practices, cover four key areas: developing and selecting appropriate tests, administering and scoring tests, reporting and interpreting test results, and, finally, informing test takers. Administrators should be qualified and follow the procedures outline in each assessment to minimize testing bias.

Numerous academic articles also address this important like L.K. Knauss' 2001 "Ethical Issues in Psychological Assessment in School Settings," which, according to his abstract, covers "informed consent, nondiscriminatory assessment, projective personality assessment, and computerized psychological testing" as well as "the process of parental consent and invovlement."