Appendix B PUBLIC INTEREST for the Design and Use of Adopted by the Board of Trustees October 1981 91-170 0-82-27 ES Educational Testing Service⚫ Princeton, New Jersey PUBLIC INTEREST for the Design and Use of By resolution dated October 6, 1981, the Board of Trustees of Educational Testing Service formally adopted as policy for ETS these Public Interest Principles for the Design and Use of Admissions Testing Programs. These principles were originally proposed for public discussion on December 30, 1979, by the leaders of Educational Testing Service and four other organizations responsible for major national admissions testing programs. They address concerns that have been raised about the design and use of standardized tests in admission to higher education, e.g., public access to test questions and answers, verification of scoring procedures, and appropriate use of the information derived from testing programs. Educational Testing Service strongly supports these principles and is committed to working with sponsoring groups to implement the principles in the admissions testing programs with which it is associated. Principles A number of the principles enumerated below have been cornerstones of most testing programs for some years. We believe it is important, however, to reaffirm them here to provide a fuller view of our beliefs and our expectations for the future. 1 We recognize the legitimate interest of the public in knowing what the tests contain and their efficacy in performing their intended functions. Therefore, we will implement the principle of publication of test content to a degree limited only by reasonable safeguards of efficiency, cost, quality, and the educational impact of the programs. 2 We fully support the principle of equity and we will continue to maintain and strengthen credible procedures for detecting bias and eliminating it from the content of the tests, while making such procedures visible to the public. 3 We recognize the need for routine procedures that allow the test taker to arrange for verification of the accuracy of the procedures determining the score attributed to him or her. 4 We believe that tests should be readily available to all individuals, regardless of conditions such as physical handicap or religious beliefs that may prevent the taking of exams under circumstances that meet the convenience of the majority. 5 We recognize that tests, together with the procedures for scoring them and reporting the results, should be designed to provide test takers with as much useful information as may be feasible about the specifics of their performance on the tests. 6 We reaffirm the right of individuals and institutions to privacy with regard to information by and about them, which should be safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure. 7 We recognize the need to formulate, maintain, and publish widely prin ciples of appropriate use of scores and other test information derived from testing programs and to be alert to and actively discourage mis use. 8 We recognize that both the institutions making use of test scores and the test takers themselves should have mechanisms through which to express their legitimate interests concerning the design and operation of testing programs and the use of information derived from them. Operational Elements The separately constituted and governed groups sponsoring testing programs may choose to implement these principles in different ways. This probable diversity stems from differences in the nature and purposes of the tests in the several programs and from the specifics of their structure and operation. Examples of possible approaches include the following: 1 Each prospective examinee should be able to receive a full-length sample of each test, similar to the one he or she will take, with the intended answers and with instructions for self-administration and self-scoring. 2 For tests given to a sufficient number of students annually to support the cost, at least one operational form of the test should be published periodically, in addition to the regular sample. A specific schedule of publication should be designated for each program. 3 Non-technical information about the testing program should be fur nished routinely to test takers, users, and the general public. It should include a description of what each test measures, the error of measurement, how the scores are intended to be used, and a summary of the validity of the scores for the intended uses. 4 A technical publication should provide information on the same topics in sufficient depth to permit professionals in the field to assess the evidence and the accuracy of the non-technical summary. 5 Studies of the use of the test by professionals other than those in the sponsoring or administering agency should be actively encouraged and facilitated by provision of the necessary data with safeguards for individual privacy. The results of those studies should be published in regular journals and also incorporated in the technical and non-technical publications. 6 The test sponsor should ensure that operational forms of the test are independently reviewed before they are given. The review should include the appropriateness of the content of the test and in particular should seek to detect and remove potential racial, cultural or sex bias or other influences extrinsic to the characteristics, skills or knowledge to be measured. The review should also determine that the operational form is fairly represented by the sample test already distributed. 7 Test takers should have the right to question the accuracy of scoring, administrative procedures, specific questions in a test, or allegations of irregularities in test administrations. Current procedures to deal with this right should be reviewed and modified if necessary to ensure a fair and prompt response. We hope communication of these principles and operational guidelines leads to greater understanding and constructive dialogue about the important issues surrounding testing. We stand ready to work with all interested groups in discussion of the policies and improvement of the procedures under which testing programs are conducted. ■ 0151303 Y101P3 292211 Printed in U.S.A. |