College Composition and Communication Jun 2014 Open Access

The Legal and the Local: Using Disparate Impact Analysis to Understand the Consequences of Writing Assessment

Mya Poe Northeastern University ; Norbert Elliot ; John Aloysius Cogan University of Connecticut ; Tito G. Nurudeen

Abstract

In this article, we investigate disparate impact analysis as a validation tool for understanding the local effects of writing assessment on diverse groups of students. Using a case study data set from a university that we call Brick City University, we explain how Brick City’s writing program undertook a self-study of its placement exam using the disparate impact process followed by the Office for Civil Rights of the US Department of Education. This three-step process includes analyzing placement rates through (1) a threshold statistical analysis, (2) a contextualized inquiry to determine whether the placement exam meets an important educational objective, and (3) a consideration of less discriminatory assessment alternatives. By employing such a process, Brick City re-conceptualized the role of placement testing and basic writing at the university in a way that was less discriminatory for Brick City’s diverse student population.

Journal
College Composition and Communication
Published
2014-06-01
DOI
10.58680/ccc201425448
Open Access
OA PDF Green
Topics
basic writing assessment qualitative research quantitative research

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

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  2. Maloy et al. (2024)
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  3. Franz et al. (2024)
    Black Linguistic Justice from Theory to Practice
    College Composition and Communication
  4. Warnock et al. (2017)
    Measuring Quality, Evaluating Curricular Change
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication

Cites in this index (0)

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CrossRef global citation count: 15 View in citation network →

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