Test Fairness Analysis

Since Kunnans (2004), test fairness framework does not seem to be practical and comprehensive enough to be applied to the whole system of a testing practice appropriately and it shows some shortcomings such as lack of guidelines on how to ensure validity and also it does not indicate any concern for accurate reporting of test results and informing test takers as well as providing them with feedback on their performance with regard to their strengths and weaknesses ,underestimation the importance of test developers and test users roles by not clarifying their responsibilities in the testing process , neglecting of the intra-group differences and only attending to inter-group differences. Xi (2010) stated that, providing a useful framework for

Therefore equitable assessment means that students using methods and procedures most appropriate to them. These may vary from one student to the next, depending on the student's prior knowledge, cultural experience, and cognitive style. Regarding to this aim there are steps we can take to make our assessment methods as fair as possible.
2.15.1 Seven Steps to Fair Assessment
1. Have clearly stated learning outcomes and share them with students and help them understand what your most important goals are.
2. Match your assessment to what you teach and vice versa. Explain how you define special practice, and help students develop their skills.
3. Use many different measures and many different kinds of measures. There is evidence that learning styles may vary by culture (McIntyre, 1996), as different ways of thinking are valued in different cultures (Gonzalez, 1996). Because all assessments respect just some learning styles over others, it's important to give students a variety of ways to demonstrate what they've

Engage and encourage your students. The performance of "field-dependent" students, those who tend to think more holistically than analytically, is greatly influenced by faculty expressions of confidence in their ability (Anderson, 1988).
6. Interpret assessment results appropriately. There are several approaches to interpreting assessment results; teachers and trainers should choose those most appropriate one for them in decision making. One common approach is to compare students against their peers. But often it's more appropriate to base a judgment on a standard .This standards-based approach is particularly appropriate when the student must meet certain criteria in order to progress to the next course or be certified.
7. Evaluate the outcomes of the assessments. If students don't do well on a particular assessment, ask them the causes. Then with regard to that revise the assessment tools, pedagogy, or both, and bound assessments to be fairer for the next