Handbook of Human and Social Conditions in Assessment

The Handbook of Human and Social Conditions in Assessment is the first book to explore assessment issues and opportunities occurring due to the real world of human, cultural, historical, and societal influences upon assessment practices, policies, and statistical modeling. This book engages with numerous forms of assessment, from classroom-level formative assessment practices to national accountability and international comparative testing practices, all of which are significantly influenced by social and cultural conditions. Across four sections, assessment foundations and practice are examined in relation to teachers, students, classroom conditions, and cultural factors.

A unique contribution to the field of educational psychology, this revised and expanded second edition extends its coverage into studies of diversity. Original and synthesized research on individual differences (gifted and talented, physical and intellectual disabilities, gender identities) and populations (cultures, language, religion, region, socio-economic status, educational level) offer a path into assessment beyond what has been established through the field’s historic reliance on “WEIRD” samples. In addition, each chapter will examine evidence or theories that offer counterarguments or contradictions to its perspectives to ensure that diversity of thought is well-represented.

Taken together, the chapters in this volume will provide educators, scholars, test developers, and policymakers with an understanding of the human and social complexities that shape assessment at all levels of learning.