Criticisms of Testing & Ethical Testing Principles

Ethical standards and guidelines for testing are necessary, as they

promote and regulate professional behavior. The assessment is a demanding

and important activity which has a significant impact on students’ learning and

motivation, curriculum development, and the teaching process as a whole. Since

the teachers play a central role in deciding upon assessment techniques and

grades, it is their responsibility, in the first place, to assure that the assessment is

versatile, feasible, fair, and ethical.

Every profession has distinct ethical obligations to the public. These

obligations include professional competency, integrity, honesty, confidentiality,

objectivity, public safety, and fairness, all of which are intended to preserve and

safeguard public confidence. Those who are involved with assessment are

unfortunately not immune to unethical practices. Abuses in preparing students to

take tests as well as in the use and interpretation of test results have been widely

publicized. Misuses of test data in high-stakes decisions, such as scholarship

awards, retention/promotion decisions, and accountability decisions, have been

reported all too frequently.

Ethical testing ensures that test scores are not compromised, promotes a

fair testing process, and avoids serious consequences that may stem from

cheating. Unethical testing conduct results in the invalidation of test scores,

improper assessment of student proficiency, loss of vital services for low

performers, unfair advantage over colleagues, and professional discipline such

as termination and loss of certification. When properly administered and

interpreted, test results provide an independent, uniform source of reliable and

valid information, which enables: students to know the extent to which they have

mastered expected knowledge and skills and how they compare to others;

parents to know if their children are acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to

succeed in a highly competitive job market; teachers to know if their students

have mastered grade-level knowledge and skills in the curriculum and, if not,

what weaknesses need to be addressed. Testing should be conducted in a fair

and ethical manner, which includes: security; preparation; administration;

scoring, analysis and reporting. Tests provide only one valuable piece of

information; such information should be used in conjunction with all other

available information known about a student to assist in improving student

learning. Emphasize tests for diagnosis and mastery rather than as a mean of

punishing students who fail to live up to the expectations of teachers or parents.

Be sure each item has face validity, that is, it measures some important aspect of

life as perceived by the students. Don't overemphasize the importance of any

one test. Remind students that tests are a part of learning that can provide

feedback and guidance to help them improve. Informing students in advance that

they are about to take a standardized test and telling them something about the

nature of the test.

Promoting ethical practices in assessment is considered to be a very

important goal of the organizations involved in assessment. Educating others to

understand and to engage in ethical practices is a critical goal. Illustrations of

good and bad practice within realistic assessment contexts and discussions of
ethical dilemmas are excellent ways of promoting ethically responsible practice in

assessment.