Use and consequences of assessments in the USA: Professional, ethical and legal issues

Tests and assessments in the USA have taken on additional burdens as their uses have been greatly expanded by educators, employers, and policy makers. Increased demands are often placed on the same assessment, by different constituencies, to serve varied purposes (e. g., instructional reform, student accountability, quality of teaching and instruction). Such trends have raised considerable concerns about the appropriate use of tests and test data and testing is under increased scrutiny in education, employment and health care. This paper distinguishes among the legal, ethical and professional issues recently emerging from the increased demands of assessments and also identifies unique issues emanating from computer based modes of test delivery and interpretation. Efforts to improve assessment practices by professional associations and emerging issues concerning the proper use of assessments in education are reviewed. Finally, a methodology for identifying consequences associated with test use and a taxonomy for evaluating the multidimensional consequential outcomes of test use within a setting are proposed.