Equity and Fairness

Equity and Fairness

We center equity in all our projects. We are committed to improving learning for all students, especially those who have not historically had fair access to educational opportunities. We work closely with states and school districts to ensure that their policies and practices on assessment and accountability are as equitable as possible, and we extend this work through our publications and our service on a variety of panels and committees.


Recent Equity and Fairness Projects

Equitable and fair assessment practices

Juan D’Brot serves on the National Council on Measurement in Education’s (NCME) Task Force on Civil Rights in Measurement and as a member of NCME’s Committee on Diversity in Testing. Carla Evans serves on the equity-focused “Assessment for Good” project.

Culturally Responsive Assessment

Carla Evans co-edited an NCME-sponsored volume, Culturally Responsive Assessment in Classrooms and Large-Scale Assessment Contexts: Theory, Research, and Practice, which includes chapters from Center experts, summarizes the most important research and sets future directions for more equitable and just assessment.

Hawaii

We are engaged in several lines of work in Hawaii to support equitable assessment, particularly for indigenous populations. This includes performance assessment development meant to instantiate views on culturally responsive practices. Center leaders have also provided vital technical advice to support the KA’EO assessment system to help this program receive federal approval


Recent Equity and Fairness Blog Posts and Papers

Evolving Expectations for Fairness in Testing

Comparing the two most recent versions of The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing shows the field’s changing conceptions of fairness.
May 28, 2025

Generative AI and Cara’s Other Favorite Accessibility Things

Oprah has her list. We have ours. Check out the accessibility tools and innovations that Cara Laitusis loves.
April 9, 2025

What Is Fair? Equity in Education

Equity is under attack. But equity is not a threat—it is fairness in action. It ensures that every student gets the support they need to succeed in school.
April 2, 2025

Culturally Responsive Assessment: From Classrooms to Large-Scale Settings

A new volume explores what we’ve learned about culturally responsive assessment and how we can build on it to serve students better.
March 12, 2025

Equity and the Accessibility Game Plan

Key strategies from the world of accessibility offer helpful guidance in advancing equity in educational testing in K12 schools.
December 11, 2024

Test Security: Expanding Our Ideas to Support Score Integrity

Test security has typically focused on preventing, detecting and acting on irregularities. But it should also support fairness and equity.
November 13, 2024

2024 Reidy Interactive Learning Series

Consequential Uses of Assessment: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead Agenda Thursday, Sept. 26 TimeSessionDescription8:30BreakfastBreakfast provided9:00Welcome, Context & EssentialsScott Marion provides […]
October 2, 2024

A New Framework for Universal Design of Assessment Systems

Existing frameworks for universal design aren't quite right for educational assessment, so we teamed up and designed a new one.
April 3, 2024

Designing Inclusive K-12 Assessments

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” That’s particularly true when it comes to building assessments that are inclusive of students with disabilities.
February 7, 2024

Promoting Equity Through Accountability System Design

States can use accountability system design as a lever for equity in student outcomes and opportunities, but 5 common barriers get in the way.
June 28, 2023
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