Everybody is Doing It, But Does That Make It Right? Textbooks, Testing and The Language Police
By Tamela Culp, Jessica Lucas, Jean Carlo Maldonado, & Karen Morrison
What is Censorship?
Controlling of language and thought processes
Exclusion of controversial material
Controlling perceptions “We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.” ~John F. Kennedy
Bias Guidelines “They combine left-wing political correctness and right-wing religious fundamentalism, a strange stew of discordant influences.” – Diane Ravitch
Original Purpose - To eliminate discrimination and not offend anyone
Bias Guidelines used by educational publishers, test development companies, states and professional associations.
Bias Guidelines & Censorship Issues
Impeding Creativity
Distorting Society and History
Distorted Ethnic, Religion, Gender, Culture, Age, and Disability Portrayals
Avoiding Stereotype Threat
Censorship in Testing
DIF or Differential Item Functioning
DIF has the opposite effect of reinforcing group stereotypes by suggesting that certain groups cannot handle specific topics or material.
Example list of words banned by American Institute of Research: Junk
Bonds
Cotillion Coming Social
Out Party
Register
Yachting
No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind Bill 2001.
Standardized Testing for Students.
Accountability for Educators.
Accountability for Students.
Bipartisan Approval.
Teaching To The Test
Everyone is Doing It! School Reform
Works Cited
Almagor, L. (2014). The Good In Standardized Testing. Boston Review, 39(5), 6-9.
Ravitch, Diane. (2004) The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn. Vintage; Reprint edition (May 11, 2004) ISBN10: 1400030641 ISBN-13: 978-1400030644
ROSE, M. (2015). School Reform Fails the Test. American Scholar, 84(1), 18-30.