To promote equity and reduce disproportionality, what is the most effective district-level action?

• A. Increase special education referrals from cultural groups
• B. Examine assessment practices for validity and bias across all students
• C. Lower the bar for ADHD diagnosis
• D. Focus only on English language development rather than assessment validity

Answer: (B)

Reducing disproportionality and promoting equity hinges on fair assessment practices that apply to all students. The best district-level action is to examine assessment practices for validity and bias across the whole student population. Validity means the assessments are actually measuring the intended skills or knowledge for everyone, not just a subset of students. Bias involves systematic errors that make some groups perform differently for reasons unrelated to their true abilities, often tied to culture, language, or background. By auditing and improving how tests are used, choosing appropriate measures, and incorporating multiple sources of data, a district can ensure decisions about referrals, supports, and services are based on accurate, fair evidence. This helps prevent misidentifications and underidentifications that contribute to inequity.

Other options don’t address the root fairness of how students are assessed. Increasing referrals from cultural groups can amplify disproportionality; lowering the bar for ADHD diagnosis risks more misdiagnoses; and focusing only on English language development while ignoring assessment validity leaves bias unaddressed and may overlook students who need support beyond language considerations.