New York judge rules test given to teachers racially biased toward Latinos, blacks applicants

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Published January 01, 2017

LONDON - AUGUST 14: A teacher from Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School stuffs envelopes with A-level results August 14, 2003 in London England. The results published today show that more students are passing than ever before, with a higher proportion of students getting A grades. Pass rates for the exams have increased 1.1% this year to 95.4% , showing the overall pass rate nearing 100%. (Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images) (2003 Getty Images)

A judge says a test given to New York State teaching applicants is racially biased.

U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood ruled Friday that a test given from 2004 through 2012 was discriminatory to black and Latino applicants.

Since 1993, the state has required prospective teachers to pass a liberal arts exam before being certified. Another judge found another version of the test discriminatory a decade ago.

Wood said an analysis of the latest version of the test had shown that pass rates for blacks and Latino applicants were between 54 percent and 75 percent of the pass rate for whites.

She said the test was not properly validated and not related to actual tasks teachers carry out.