Social Consequences of Testing for Language-minoritized Bilinguals in the United States

Comprehensive investigation of the role of testing and assessment in the education of bilinguals in the US

This book provides a cohesive historical narrative of the testing of language-minoritized bilinguals in the United States that centers the test-takers’ experiences. It demonstrates how testing has contributed to the historic, systemic marginalization of language-minoritized bilinguals and encourages efforts to dismantle these inequities.

This book constructs a historical narrative to examine the social consequences of testing faced by language-minoritized bilinguals in the United States. These consequences are understood with respect to what language-minoritized bilinguals faced when they have sought (1) access to civic participation (2) entry into the United States, (3) education in K-12 Schools, and (4) higher education opportunities. By centering the test-taker perspective with a use-oriented testing approach, the historical narrative describes the cumulative nature of these consequences for this community of individuals, which demonstrates how the mechanism of testing – often in conjunction with other structural and political forces – has contributed to the historic, systemic marginalization of language-minoritized bilinguals in the United States. By viewing these experiences with respect to consequential validity, the book poses questions to those involved in testing to not only acknowledge these histories, but to actively and explicitly incorporate efforts to dismantle these legacies of discrimination. The conclusions drawn from the historical analysis add an important perspective for educators and researchers concerned with inequities in the testing of language-minoritized bilinguals.