Introduction

This chapter examines fairness in the context of educational assessment and measurement and primarily focuses on educational assessment in the United States. The Army Alpha test measured verbal ability, numerical ability, ability to follow directions, and knowledge of information, and was administered in English. Soldiers who were illiterate or who were not sufficiently proficient in English would take the Army Beta test. World War II changed much in American society, including race relations and the role of women in the workforce. During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order in June 1941 in response to complaints about discrimination at home against Black Americans, who constituted about 10% of the population. The civil rights movement reached its peak in the mid-1960s, with the passage of the civil rights act of 1965, the voting rights act of 1966, and the civil rights act of 1968, which was passed shortly after King’s assassination in Memphis, Tennessee.