End the Birthday Bias: Age Allowances in High-Stakes Tests Are a Proven Boost for Fairness

Autor/in	Peña, Pablo A.
Titel	End the Birthday Bias: Age Allowances in High-Stakes Tests Are a Proven Boost for Fairness
Quelle	In: Education Next, 22 (2022) 3, S.22-28 (7 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1539-9664
Schlagwörter	High Stakes Tests; Age Differences; Achievement Tests; Test Bias; Standardized Tests; Testing Accommodations; Scores; Instructional Program Divisions; Educational History; Equal Education; Birth; Elementary Secondary Education + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Achievement test; Achievement; Testing; Test; Tests; Leistungsbeurteilung; Leistungsüberprüfung; Leistung; Testdurchführung; Testen; Testkritik; Standadised tests; Standardisierter Test; Testing process; Accessibility (for disabled); Accessibility; Disabled person; Barrierefreiheit; Zugänglichkeit; Behinderter; History of education; Bildungsgeschichte; Geburt
Abstract	Older schoolchildren typically perform better on academic achievement tests than younger students in the same classes. Studies looking at an array of countries, grade spans, and subjects have found that age differences of even a few months do matter. Relative-age effects introduce an arbitrary bias that favors older students. These effects are a well-established fact as old as standardized testing itself--and they have been addressed head-on in the past. To see the path forward toward greater fairness in testing through age allowances, this article looks back at its history: describing age allowances in action, the impacts on equality, and hazards ahead. The author concludes with making the case for extending age allowances. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Education Next Institute, Inc. Harvard Kennedy School, Taubman 310, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; Fax: 617-496–4428; e-mail: Education_Next@hks.harvard.edu; Web site: https://www.educationnext.org/the-journal/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01