What do we think when we hear the phrase, "test bias"?

 What do you think of when you hear someone say, "that test is biased", or "bias in testing is a major issue"? What does test bias mean? Are we referring mainly to the type of questions asked on an exam, or to the way it's scored? And are we including who scores it? Does having a cost for a test make it biased, or does only the content count? Can how and when a test is administered create bias? How can we identify bias?

These are questions I hope to answer for myself, and for readers of this blog as I investigate bias in testing over the next several months. As an educator, I aim to create as level a playing field as possible for all students, and valid and reliable testing must be an important part of that. The more I understand about bias in testing, the better able I will be to eliminate bias in my practice. In addition, a better understanding of test bias will help me to call it out when I see it in curriculum and exams. Positive change for students doesn't happen unless issues are identified and brought into the open by educators. 

To expand my understanding of test bias, I will first be focusing on the question: What is test bias? I'm not looking for an Oxford English Dictionary definition; I want to know what educators, students, and parents feel constitutes bias in testing. Perception plays a big role here. What a middle-class suburban white parent sees as bias may be very different from what a lower-income inner city 10th grader sees as bias. So my goal is to look at these varied perceptions and build a definition that can best expand my understanding. 

Join me as I learn and grow, and I hope that as my understanding grows, others can learn from my journey.