Gender Equity in Testing & Gender Equity in Testing & AssessmentAssessment

Gender Gender • Gender is a Gender is a social constructionsocial construction of of

the male and female.the male and female.•Gender EqualityGender Equality: : Gender Gender

Equality requires Equality requires equal enjoymentequal enjoyment by by women and men of women and men of socially-valued socially-valued goods, opportunities, resources and goods, opportunities, resources and rewards.rewards.

Gender EquityGender Equity• Gender equity is the process of Gender equity is the process of being fair being fair

to women and men.to women and men.• The concept of gender equity recognizes The concept of gender equity recognizes

that men and women have that men and women have different life different life experiences, different needs, different experiences, different needs, different levels of powerlevels of power and access to decision- and access to decision-making levels in our society, differing making levels in our society, differing expectations by others and expectations by others and different ways different ways of expressing illnessof expressing illness..

Gender EquityGender Equity Cont…Cont…• . Gender equity strategies recognize . Gender equity strategies recognize

that gender that gender leads to different social leads to different social economic and political opportunities economic and political opportunities for women and men.for women and men.

• Gender Equity is a set of Gender Equity is a set of actions, actions, attitude, and assumptionsattitude, and assumptions that that provide opportunities and create provide opportunities and create expectations about individuals.expectations about individuals.

It offers It offers a framework for a framework for educational reformeducational reform in which all in which all females and males:females and males:••Are engaged, reflective learners, Are engaged, reflective learners, regardless of the subject.regardless of the subject.••Are prepared for future education, jobs , Are prepared for future education, jobs , careers, and civic participation.careers, and civic participation.••Set and meet expectations for Set and meet expectations for themselves and others.themselves and others.••Develop as respectful friends, family Develop as respectful friends, family members , workers and citizen.members , workers and citizen.••Receive equitable treatment and achieve Receive equitable treatment and achieve equitable outcomes in school and beyond.equitable outcomes in school and beyond.

Test and AssessmentTest and Assessment• This topic examines how males and This topic examines how males and

females perform on different types of females perform on different types of assessment tasks that indicate assessment tasks that indicate students’ students’ levels of achievementlevels of achievement in the in the academic disciplines taught in school: academic disciplines taught in school: reading/language arts, mathematics, reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.science and social studies.

•

Test performanceTest performanceA considerable body of evidence suggested that an A considerable body of evidence suggested that an

individual’s test performance may be impacted by individual’s test performance may be impacted by a wide range of personal, societal and a wide range of personal, societal and assessment factors such asassessment factors such as

• Personal test taking stylePersonal test taking style• Internalized societal expectationsInternalized societal expectations• Characteristics of test Characteristics of test Some of these factors seem differently impact on Some of these factors seem differently impact on

male and female and may be account for some of male and female and may be account for some of the observed group differences. Factors that the observed group differences. Factors that influence test performance have been influence test performance have been characterized as:characterized as:

• Test characteristics Test characteristics • Test taker characteristicsTest taker characteristics

Test characteristicsTest characteristics• Test format or item type has been found to relate Test format or item type has been found to relate

to gender differences in test performance. to gender differences in test performance. Willingham et al. (1997) found in looking at gender Willingham et al. (1997) found in looking at gender differences in advanced placement (AP) test (from differences in advanced placement (AP) test (from more restricted samples of high-performing more restricted samples of high-performing students)students)

• They found An (inconsistent) tendency for females They found An (inconsistent) tendency for females to perform better on free-response or essay to perform better on free-response or essay questions questions

• Male tended to perform better on a multiple-Male tended to perform better on a multiple-choice format.choice format.

• Male seem to do better than females in terms of Male seem to do better than females in terms of speeded tests such as the SAT mathematics testspeeded tests such as the SAT mathematics test

Continue….!Continue….!• In a small scale study by Benjamin-Kelly In a small scale study by Benjamin-Kelly

and Rosser in 1989, 40 New York City and Rosser in 1989, 40 New York City high school juniors were interviewed to high school juniors were interviewed to see how they solve SAT mathematics see how they solve SAT mathematics problems; these students were retested problems; these students were retested on the SAT and given all the time they on the SAT and given all the time they required, to see whether time pressure required, to see whether time pressure affected the sexes differentlyaffected the sexes differently

•Most of them took more time Most of them took more time than actual test than actual test MalesMales• The males were more likely The males were more likely

to use test taking strategies to use test taking strategies such as substituting answer such as substituting answer choices in the problem to choices in the problem to see which one worked or see which one worked or noticed answer choice that noticed answer choice that was different from all others was different from all others (usually correct one)(usually correct one)

• Increased time was not Increased time was not associated with the associated with the improvements for male; improvements for male; they answered fewer they answered fewer questions correctly despite questions correctly despite the expanded time framethe expanded time frame

FemalesFemales• Females were more Females were more

likely to work math’s likely to work math’s problem as they had problem as they had been taught in the been taught in the classroom (in a step classroom (in a step by step manner)by step manner)

• Giving time to female Giving time to female seemed to work in seemed to work in their favor because it their favor because it allowed them to do allowed them to do the required the required mathematicsmathematics

Test-taker characteristicsTest-taker characteristicsFemales and males have different test taking Females and males have different test taking

stylesstyles• Females tend to leave more questions Females tend to leave more questions

unanswered than males on test such as SATunanswered than males on test such as SAT• Females were less likely to be risk takers Females were less likely to be risk takers

and therefore guess less than malesand therefore guess less than males• Girls think that SAT measures their Girls think that SAT measures their

intelligence and they mustn’t cheatintelligence and they mustn’t cheat• Boys are more competitive they play it like Boys are more competitive they play it like

a pin ball game(Gilligan & attanucci)a pin ball game(Gilligan & attanucci)

Continue….!Continue….!Anxiety may also be a factor in test performanceAnxiety may also be a factor in test performance• Females who said that they were highly anxious scored Females who said that they were highly anxious scored

lower on the mathematics SAT than ‘somewhat’ lower on the mathematics SAT than ‘somewhat’ anxious femalesanxious females

• Faigel (1991) found out students suffered from un Faigel (1991) found out students suffered from un usual anxiety, have difficulty thinking usual anxiety, have difficulty thinking ‘an hour later ‘an hour later they not only remember the questions but also the they not only remember the questions but also the right answers’right answers’

• Test sophistication may also be a factor related to Test sophistication may also be a factor related to gender; males have more gaming strategies towards gender; males have more gaming strategies towards test females showed lack of test wiseness by using a test females showed lack of test wiseness by using a strategy strategy

• The males were more likely to know the tricks of the The males were more likely to know the tricks of the test test

Stereotype threatStereotype threat• Stelle found that on an AP calculus exam Stelle found that on an AP calculus exam

, when females ; stereotype threat was , when females ; stereotype threat was activated by their being told to write activated by their being told to write down their sex beforehand, they did down their sex beforehand, they did worse than males but when they were worse than males but when they were told ‘this is a test you will do better on told ‘this is a test you will do better on even though females generally do worse even though females generally do worse than males’ ;they did better than males than males’ ;they did better than males

ValidityValidity • Refers to measuring what we intend to Refers to measuring what we intend to

measure. measure.

• If math and vocabulary truly represent If math and vocabulary truly represent intelligence then a math and vocabulary intelligence then a math and vocabulary test might be said to have high validity test might be said to have high validity when used as a measure of intelligence.when used as a measure of intelligence.

Construct ValidityConstruct Validity• Think of a construct as something that is like an idea or mental map that we are trying to understand.

For example - intuition is a construct. There is no place on the brain (as of yet) that can be identified as Intuition. But we see lots of behaviors that seem to be expressions of some quality we call Intuition.

• A criteria is a measure that could be used to determine the accuracy of a decision.

Criterion-Related ValidityCriterion-Related Validity

•The predictor is a tool that is used to predict the criterion.

Predictive Validity Predictive Validity • This type of validity also indicates the This type of validity also indicates the

correlation between the predictor (X) and the correlation between the predictor (X) and the criterion (Y). However, criterion data are criterion (Y). However, criterion data are collected after predictor data are obtained. In collected after predictor data are obtained. In other words, this method determines the other words, this method determines the degree, that X can accurately degree, that X can accurately predictpredict Y Y

Predictive Validity (cont.)Predictive Validity (cont.)

e.g., If higher scores on the SAT are positively e.g., If higher scores on the SAT are positively correlated with correlated with higher G.P.A.’s and visa versa, then the SAT is higher G.P.A.’s and visa versa, then the SAT is said to have predictive validity.said to have predictive validity.•The Predictive Validity of the SAT is mildly The Predictive Validity of the SAT is mildly supported by the relation of that scale with supported by the relation of that scale with performance in graduate school.performance in graduate school.

Examples of Predictive Validity Examples of Predictive Validity – For instance, we might theorize that a measure of math For instance, we might theorize that a measure of math

ability should be able to predict how well a person will do ability should be able to predict how well a person will do in an engineering-based profession. in an engineering-based profession.

– A high correlation would provide evidence for predictive A high correlation would provide evidence for predictive validity -- it would show that our measure can correctly validity -- it would show that our measure can correctly predict something that we theoretically thing it should be predict something that we theoretically thing it should be able to predict.able to predict.

Research Findings……!Research Findings……!• More women are now taking college

admission test more than men. And the most complicating factor is that boys and men of all ethnic group have shown increasing disengagement with academic work at all level.

Admissions,Testing,Scholarships…

• Researchers of 1980’s and 90’s said that in this area also men had been scoring higher and had been receiving many more of the scholarships. It is said that men had been given favor in the admissions, tests and scholarships. But according to Lee(2006) girls proportion of scholarship raised from 28 to 52%. Grandy reported in 1999 that there are some differences found in test/assessment of both gender as the following

Continue…….!Continue…….!1.Verbal score average for male over 30 remained

essentially the same as score averages for male under 30. Whereas average of older female examinee were higher than the young female examinee.

2.On all graduate admission tests, males performed better than females in mathematical ability.

Continue…..!Continue…..!• Since 1972, female verbal score averages have

ranged from 2 to 15 points lower than males. Males Mathematics score averages points higher than range from 30 to 52 than females. In 2004 college board reported that females score averaged 504 on verbal section and 501 on the mathematics section, while males averaged 512 on the verbal and 537 on the mathematics.( Rapport Talk and Report Talk).

Achievement Gap

• Historically and according to achievement gap males perform better in mathematics and science area. And females perform better in reading/language and arts.

• “Researchers also says that it is Men’s world in the field of Vocational Interests and Aptitude Testing.”

ConclusionConclusion• The purpose of gender equity is to The purpose of gender equity is to

protect the rights and privileges of protect the rights and privileges of males and females so that both males and females so that both receive equitable fair treatment in receive equitable fair treatment in the educational system.”the educational system.”