Differential performance on a direct measure of writing skills for Black and White college freshmen.

Abstract

DOCUMENT RESUME TM 015 253 Welch, Catherine; And Others Differential Performance on a Direct Measure of Writing Skills for Black and White College Freshmen. ACT Research Report Series 89-8. American Coll. Testing Program, Iowa City, Iowa. Nov 89 21p. ACT Research Report Series, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, I1 52243. Reports Research/Technical (143) mF01/Pc01 Plus Postage. *Black Students; *College Freshmen; Comparative Testing; * Essay Tests; Higher Education; *Item Bias; National Programs; Performance; Racial Bias; Racial Differences; Testing Programs; *White Students; Writing Evaluation; *Writing Skills; Writing Tests American Collece Testing Program; Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency The differential performance of black and white college freshmen on a direct measure of writing skills, the essay portion of the 'American College Testing Program's Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP), was studied. The data consisted of responses of a sample of 998 black and 3,727 white examinees to two individual prompts for essays, each requiring 20 minutes of testing time. Each essay was scored by two independent raters. Analysis of the data indicated that black examinees did not perform as well as did white examinees on the essay test. The differences between the populations on the essay were similar in magnitude tc differences found on a multiple-choice test of writing skills that also formed part of the CAAP. Results must be interpreted cautiously as the samples, particularly the clack sample, were probably atypical. Seven tables present data from the study. An interpretation of the CAAP Writing (Essay) Test Scores is appended. (Author/SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original documelt. ACT Research Report Series 89-8 U S OEARTNIENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educanoasi Amara. and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER RI/4his document nes Dein reproduced as f OCII,Ved from the person or organization originating it C' Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction CluelitY Pointe of view or opinions stated in this docu mint dc no necessarily represent official 0E111 positron or policy PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY R. F6-AG uso,J TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INF^RMATION CENTER (ERIC) Differential Performance on a Direct Measure of Writing Skills for Black and White College Freshmen Catherine Welch Allen Doolittle Joyce McLarty