Are the New York State Tests Fair?
New York State puts all test questions through two procedures: sensitivity review and bias analysis. Sensitivity review is an evaluation of the questions by experts who are trained in New York States Sensitivity Guidelines. The purpose of this review is to guarantee that the questions do not present people in a negative fashion and that the questions can be answered equally well by boys and girls and by students of different cultures. Bias review is a statistical analysis of test questions before they appear on the tests. All test questions are field-tested, first using hundreds of New York State children. The bias analysis reviews the results of the field testing and evaluates whether children from different cultural backgrounds, who are matched in their overall ability, have the same opportunity to answer questions correctly. What Accommodations and Modifications Are Available to Support Students with Special Needs? Children who are receiving special education services with either an
