Category: Cultural Bias

Cultural bias is present when standardized tests are comprised of tasks that are more common in a culture, particularly mainstream American culture. A test that includes labeling of objects is said to be culturally biased since labeling is not a salient language socialization pattern in some cultures such as low-income Puerto Rican and African American cultures.

Research Text: Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education

Leaders Project

Source URL: View this document on the National Academies Press website

This article highlighted the role that evaluators play in perpetuating the achievement gap between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. When an evaluator uses assessment procedures, such as standardized tests, that are biased against students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, it results in typically developing students being placed in special education where they are much less likely to graduate from high school and college.

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Law and Policy: Knowledge and Skills Needed by Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists to Provide Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services

Leaders Project

Source URL: View this document on the ASHA website

This is a policy document published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) establishing its position on what skills are needed by speech language pathologists in order to work competently with culturally and linguistically diverse clients.

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