Addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion in test development
Pearson staff consider diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) throughout test planning/research planning, development, and revision process. There are both general and specific considerations for DE&I for any project that is being revised or developed. The general considerations for DE&I in clinical assessment development at Pearson will be summarized below, as well as specific considerations for the planning, initiation, content/item development, data collection, scoring and data analysis, and test manual writing phases.
This information is a summary of the complex process undergone by the Pearson staff to ensure that DE&I considerations are embedded within every phase of product planning and development. While this is by no means an exhaustive representation of our efforts, our staff is dedicated to continuing our learning and application of DE&I principles.
Initiation of development
Initiation of an assessment, whether part of a new development or a revision, requires significant research and forethought. DE&I considerations are an important part of the initiation process. Pearson staff use a variety of methods to gather the most recent information about DE&I by reviewing recent research, customer feedback, and consulting with experts. Our clinical assessment staff also maintains familiarity and understanding of the latest guidelines and ethical standards by attending regular training sessions, following the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, NCME, 2014), and keeping informed on the updated guidance from relevant associations (e.g., APA, ASHA, NASP, AOTA).
Content/Item development
The next step in developing an assessment is the actual content and item revision/creation. Demonstrations, samples, and teaching items are reviewed to ensure fairness and gender-neutral language. Insights gleaned during this step help to determine if content and art need to be updated based on recent research, current best practices, increasing diversity of caseloads, and customer feedback. DE&I principles, information, and feedback gathered from the initiation stage must be applied to the content and item creation to meet the standards the clinical assessment team strives to follow.
Data collection
Data is collected in multiple research phases to confirm familiarity and appropriateness of items and item difficulty for a wide variety of speakers. This data collection includes representation by age, sex, region, race/ethnicity stratified according to Census data. Data is also collected within the populations for which the test is likely to be used (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, intellectual disability, mild cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, etc.) Our research and development teams work closely with our field research and psychometrics teams to determine the requirements for the data collection phases to ensure representative samples.
Scoring and data analysis
Scoring responses on an assessment may be straightforward or include complex scoring rubrics. The development of scoring rubrics is based on previous versions of the test (if relevant) and responses collected from the multiple research phases. When data collection is complete, a meticulous scoring process is developed to identify considerations that need to be made for cultural diversity such as dialectical variations in development of scoring rubrics and in instructions for scoring the final product.
Manual writing
Test manuals include background information about the constructs being measured, administration and scoring guidelines, information about research phases and data collection, normative data explained in text and provided in tables, explanations of derivations of scores, and information about special studies and other relevant considerations for clinicians and educators to use the test appropriately. Validity of the results in the event of special circumstances such as the use of an interpreter, sign language, or assistive devices is also included.
Staff expertise
Pearson has laid a strong foundation for expertise in relevant fields for development of clinical assessments. Research and development teams are comprised of experts in their respective fields who typically have field experience using Pearson. Some are or were university faculty and researchers in their respective fields, many of whom maintain their licenses to practice in their respective fields. License renewal includes requirements for competency, adherence to strict ethical standards, and regular continuing education credits for maintenance of licensure. In addition, a significant number of our staff maintain certifications and/or memberships with their respective national organizations or training certification entities. Some have also authored journal articles, book chapters, and/or books.
The fields of expertise represented in Pearson staff include:
- Clinical psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Health psychology
- School psychology
- Educational psychology
- Industrial/organizational psychology
- Speech-language pathology
- Linguistics
- Occupational therapy
- Early childhood development and education
- Elementary and secondary education
- Other related fields
Although training and experience within a specific field does not necessarily qualify one as a DE&I expert, the Pearson research and development staff’s knowledge, experience, and participation in professional activities within their respective fields keep them abreast of trends in practice and research, and this includes updated knowledge on important DE&I topics. When engaging in clinical assessment development, there is overarching information that Pearson staff considers regarding DE&I.
Our commitment to DE&I
We take our responsibility to provide high quality assessments very seriously, and part of that quality relies on an assessment’s representation of our diverse population. Our team is constantly working to ensure that we are sensitive and inclusive wherever possible, consulting regularly with thought leaders that have expertise in bias issues and DE&I, then adjusting our protocols when necessary.