The biases in testing Essay Example for Free

The biases in testing Essay Many examples can be given for the biases in testing based on culture. Cultural biases have been in testing as long as testing has been around, whether intentional or not. With each passing year, however, it seems that cultural bias is more examined and those who create the tests are using stricter guidelines to insure that the tests they create are not biased towards one student more than another. For example, in New York City, students were given a question asking, â€Å"what were ways the British improved the lives of Africans? † it was prefaced with a passage from 1922 stating â€Å"We are endeavoring [trying] to teach the native races to conduct their own affairs with justice and humanity, and to educate them alike in letters and in industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This testing question has a clear cultural bias and shows â€Å"outright racism† according to one parents group (Rammohan, 2007). It’s ridiculous that questions like this are still showing up in standardized testing at all. Although, imperialism should be taught, it could have been presented in a less biased way. Jay Rosner in On White Preference from The Nation states another example of bias towards white students over others, â€Å"On the October 1998 SAT, for example, every single on of the 138 questions (sixty math and seventy-eight verbal) favored whites over blacks. By favoring whites, I mean that a higher percentage of white than black students answered correctly every question pre-screened and chosen to appear on that SAT†¦SAT forms are designed to very strongly correlate with one another. And the pattern I’ve identified is a predictable result of the way the tests are constructed. Latino test-takers are similarly affected, faring only a bit better than blacks. † Obviously, test takers are being gypped when it comes to standardized testing, and the tests are being biased towards white students. This example of white students performing better on all 138 pre-screened questions gives the indication that the system that is used to screen questions is in and of itself, biased, and therefore, in need of examination. Rosner goes on to give another example of the biases of test creators. On a pre-testing question where minority students actually performed better than white students, the question was thrown out, an obvious example of bias towards white students. Interestingly enough, Rosner’s entire reason for looking into the SAT and other standardized testing questions formulated by the ETS, the Educational Testing Service, was due to the fact that white students had filed a suit against the University of Michigan because they were allowing black students into the college with a lower SAT score and not accepting white students who may have a higher score. While it does not show test bias, it’s an interesting example of how the colleges may be cognizant of testing bias and how they are trying to rectify the discrepancies, i. e. allowing minority students who may have a lower SAT score into the college. As stated by Rosner, there is in fact, a twenty percent gap in performance on standardized testing between white students and minority students, displaying bias on the part of the ETS as their company formulates and screens questions before putting them onto the tests (Rosner, 2003). If they were, in fact, unbiased, why did they not allow the question where black students performed better than white? If they had allowed the question, then maybe we could state that they were at least making an effort towards being unbiased regarding test formulation and administration, unfortunately, all actions point to the contrary. As long as those formulating the tests are using biased criteria, our tests will continue to be biased and white students will continue to perform better than minority students. References Rammohan, Yasmin Tara. (9 May 2007). Advocates say standardized tests often flunk cultural bias scrutiny. Medill Reports Chicago. Retrieved from http://news. medill. northwestern. edu/chicago/news. aspx? id=35935. Rosner, Jay. (27 March 2003). On white preferences. The Nation. Retrieved from http://www. thenation. com/doc/20030414/rosner.

Samuel Sewall :: essays research papers

Samuel Sewall born in 1652 in England. He was taken as a child to Newbury, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard in 1671. He became a minister but gave up the role to take management of a printing press in Boston and entered upon a public career. He was elected in 1683 to the general court and was a member of the council. As one of the judges who tried the Salem witchcraft cases in 1692, he shared the responsibility for the conviction of nineteen persons. However, he became convinced of the error of these convictions and in 1697 in Old South Church, Boston, publicly accepted the â€Å"blame and shame† for them. Sewall served for thirty-seven years as judge of the superior court of the colony, being chief justice during the last ten years of his service. Sewall was also a well-known author and his most famous work was his three-volume diary, which is very revealing of Samuel Sewall and the period he lived in. Sewall was a respected figure of his time and shared relations w ith other prominent icons of the colonial era. When Sewall entered Harvard he shared a home for two years with Edward Taylor, a famous American poet who became a lifelong friend of Sewall’s. Also in the year of the Salem witch Trials Samuel Sewall was appointed as one of nine judges by Govenor Phips, another fellow judge on this board was Cotton Mather. A famous individual of colonial times he was a minister of Boston’s Old North Church and was a true believer in witchcraft. Sewall and Mather were both puritans, authors, and shared similar views. Samuel Sewall died in Boston, Massachusetts in 1730, January 1st. Samuel Sewall’s writing was of a traditional Puritan style. His work often concentrated on religion, politics, business life, and good living. But unlike Puritans of his time Sewall’s many writings addressed specific concerns about the rights of Native Americans and of African-Americans brought as slaves to the colonies. Sewall wrote the first Puritan anti-slaveholding tract The Selling of Joseph. The literary work that Sewall is most famous for is his Diary; it consists of a minute record of his daily life, reflecting his interest in living piously and well. He notes little purchases of sweets for a woman he was courting, and their disagreements over whether he should affect upper class and expensive ways such as wearing a wig and using a coach.

Change Essay

Change Essay All change has consequences. In Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address 1863, John F. Kennedy’s 1961 Inaugural Speech 1963 and â€Å"Forgotten Jelly† by Megan Jacobson a story from the perspective of an overweight girl who is blinded by her attitude from her friend’s battle with anorexia, both the positive and negative consequences of change are explored. The effects of change are demonstrated in many different ways, however, they all attempt to convey a central aspect of change; that all change has ramifications.As highlighted in Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, he conveys to the audience that they must put aside their differences and instead draw on the heritage that they share. His phrase â€Å"our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation† unites the audience as they ponder their similarities with the South. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address also reflects on the history shared by all Americans as he attempts to unite th em behind the goal of world peace in the context of the Cold War â€Å"We are the heirs of the first revolution†¦ Let the word go forth that the torch has passed to a new generation of Americans†.This utilization of emotive language aims to unify of all America by provoking their natural patriotism. The greatest barrier to change can be our sense of self. Jacobson’s â€Å"Forgotten Jelly† explores this through the eyes of an overweight girl who fails to recognise the trauma her friend is going through. Jacobson employs hyperbole to convey to the reader how self-obsessed the narrator is. â€Å"Body quaking more than Tokyo† suggests that she wants to draw focus to herself. It also supports how badly damaged her self body image is.This is also explained by Lincoln when he invokes the â€Å"great civil war† America is engaged in, which he is not sure the nation can endure. Lincoln varies his sentences to emphasise the importance of the crossroads the nation is at and how they must look beyond themselves to a bigger picture. This notion is illuminated in his words â€Å"but in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. † A united will can effect great change. In Kennedy’s Inaugural Address he knew he must inspire his people to enable them to help bring peace throughout the world.The United States was again at a crossroads with the Cold War at its height, Kennedy had become president by the narrowest of margins in history. His speech represents a turning point as nearly 75% of Americans expressed approval of Kennedy following his address. Kennedy immediately invoked both God and the shared heritage of the American citizens, to immediately unite his audience behind his call to unity as well as infusing his speech with a sense of higher purpose. I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed. † Similarly, Lincoln is the leader of a country at a critical point, the civil war ha s dragged on for several years. He invokes the Declaration of Independence the most sacred text in America to emphasise the fact that they must unite, before they destroy themselves. His reliance on inclusive language, specifically the word â€Å"we† which threads throughout the speech, binds the audience to a shared goal, it is as if the speaker in in effect all Americans.Lincoln also employs biblical referencing â€Å"fourscore and seven years ago†, the elegant ring of the biblical phrasing draws his audience to him as if he represents a form of higher power. Change can have both positive and negative consequences. This idea is conveyed in all three texts. Lincoln explains that the positive aspects will be that all men will be equal after the completion of the war. However, he also expresses regret that it has come to the point where people must give their lives so that everyone can be treated justly.This idea is underscored in the quote â€Å"All men are created eq ual†¦ those here gave their lives so that that nation may live. † Kennedy too notes that change has brought about many great endeavours as well as the â€Å"power to abolish all forms of human poverty. † He does express concern over that fact that mankind â€Å"has the power to abolish all forms of human life. † And Jacobson reflects on how the persona is now able to realise that she is not the centre of the universe, she is now able to help her friend in her darkest hour and become a better person for it. No-one noticed me†¦ I didn’t notice me. † This places in the spotlight the mental change she undertakes by employing repetition to highlight the fact. Change does not always come easily and can take time to accomplish. The complexity of change is emphasised by both Kennedy and Lincoln. Kennedy, whilst uniting his people behind him in a pledge for world peace explains that this change may not even happen in our lifetime. â€Å"This will n ot be finished in the first 100 days†¦ The first 1000 days†¦ Nor perhaps in our lifetime on the planet.But let us begin. † This draws his people in to him with the utilization of prepetition to illustrate the fact they can be world leaders. Lincoln conveys this message through the phrase â€Å"dedicated to the great task remaining before us† which employs high modality to illuminate that while they are dedicating this war cemetery to the dead. They must remember that their duty is to the living and fostering a better world for the future generations. Accordingly, change has consequences, both positive and negative.Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address that when resisted it can undermine national unity and indeed perpetuate war. Change can also be embraced positively not only by a certain group of people, but the whole world as represented in Kennedy’s Inaugural Address. Change can come without choice and lead to new insights, as revealed in Jacobsonâ€⠄¢s â€Å"Forgotten Jelly. † Change transforms, be it mental or physical, individual or universal it allows people to grow. Word count 1,131 By Jim Nash

The Book Happy Happy - 896 Words

What is happiness? The answers are endless, some people finding something more relatable than others. In the United States, we are given the freedom of speech, and everyone has his or her own opinion. Based on opinion it makes the world a different place. We are not all the same which is better. Happiness is something that can be taken it different ways, like the way it looks and feels but scientist and personal experiences show how it really is. Personally what makes me the happiest is on sports. Playing gives me a sense of something that nothing else can. But my roommate for example her happiness is reading. On the lacrosse field, I forget about everything that upsets or bothers me and let it free. It is the one place where nothing else matters in that moment but the sport I am playing. No thoughts of school, family issues, or anything to bother my play. A couple years ago, I was assigned to watch a movie called Happy. Happy is a documentary that explores the globe in search of what really makes people happy, taking real life stories and sharing what makes them happy truly happy. From tragedy to every day life, these people never let anything get in their way and want to live a life a pure happiness. Then recently I was reassigned to watch for this essay but watching it with a different point of view this time. Throughout the film, researchers stressed that physical activity is important to beat depression and to gain more happiness. The creation of dopamine occurs whenShow MoreRelatedThe Book If You Feel Happy 1558 Words   |  7 PagesIn the book, it states many different ideas and explanations for why some people can be generally happier than others. This can all be based on their affluence, well-being, materials, and overall health of their state of mind. Although some people do not have as many riches as others, they could be happier. 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She walks over to Guy and they start to have a conversation while walking to their houses. They discussing if talking about to see if Montag is really happy or if he was lying. She keeps questioning him. Bradbury explains â€Å"He was not happy. He was not happy. He said the words to himself.Read MoreIt s More Than Being Happy, By Emily Smith949 Words   |  4 Pagesworld and say that they were happy and enjoyed every single moment of it. People feel like if they lived a happy life, then that is all that matters. But what if life has more to do than just being happy, what if it was meant for you to change the world or the li ves of others? If you changed the life of another person and made them happy, you made a difference. A happy life is a good one, but a meaningful life is fruitful. In â€Å"There’s More to Life Than Being Happy,† written by Emily Smith, sheRead MoreOutline Of A Business Plan1617 Words   |  7 Pagesreputable company that will offer the same services as Happy Scrappy. Most companies will create photo books or send readymade scrap books in which customers will have to add in photos themselves. Although these companies sound similar Happy Scrappy allows customers to candidly create the scrapbook from start to finish. After comprehensive research in to the scrapbooking market, I have discovered a gap which can be undoubtedly accommodated for by Happy Scrappy. We specialise in a variety of uniquely hand