Running Head: Test bias or cultural bias Test bias or cultural bias

Standardized achievement testing regularly shows large gaps between the scores of different groups – Caucasian vs. students of color, middle class vs. low income, etc. Those who would study this gap are confronted with a paradox. Are the gaps the result of true differences in achievement or are they the result of bias in the measurement instruments themselves? Each of these explanations appears to preclude the other. This paper examines psychometric and socio-cultural approaches to this question in an attempt to identify several overarching issues that need to be addressed by test directors to optimize the value of achievement testing for students. It also examines recent developments, including some implications of the No Child Left Behind law. Test bias or cultural bias