Long considered separate in higher education, equity intersects with assessment to create a distinct form of assessment. This form of assessment goes by many monikers including culturally responsive assessment, socially just assessment, and equityminded assessment. Often considered the same, these concepts have nuanced differences although they fall within the same umbrella, which we call equitycentered assessment. In this article, we will provide an overview of equity-centered assessment, review the history of scholarship in the literature, outline a conceptual framework for equity-minded and equitycentered assessment, and provide suggested examples of practice that highlight how assessors can position themselves to effectively engage in this critical work.
The demographics of U.S. colleges and universities continue to evolve and higher education is being called to reinvent itself in order to ensure that all students have high quality learning experiences. An equity-minded approach to assessment helps determine the effectiveness of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs as well as embodies practices and procedures that themselves are socially just. This text share many research-based practices that value, prioritize, and develop diversity, intercultural fluency, and equity in campus specific settings. This chapter describes the higher education and cultural context in which the equitable assessment conversation is taking place; reviews how research paradigms, methods, and culture impact assessment decisions and methods; describes a socially just assessment continuum; and offers tips for implementing equity-minded assessment.
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