DefinitionFreedom from bias is, as the name suggests, that there is no bias present. It is the last of the three essential criteria for evaluating educational evaluations. The other two are reliability and validity. Rating bias is part of an evaluation that disadvantages a certain group of people based on their gender, race, socioeconomic status, or other group-defining characteristic. This occurs when an item on an assessment “distorts a student’s performance” (Popham 2014 p.128). Initial judgments made by a teacher can be extremely important when considering a student's future success (Blankenship, Hubbard, Johnson, 2009). Educators need to recognize so they can free their tests from as much bias as possible. Offensiveness Offensiveness is the first form of rating bias. This happens when something in an assessment is offensive to a group. Offense occurs when a negative stereotype is presented in a review. Not only can this affect a question, but it will also distract the student for the rest of the assessment and have a negative effect on their abilities. The student might become distraught enough to answer incorrectly or not respond to the best of their ability. Students get so offended that they forget to do their best on the test and focus on how offensive the test is. Other offensive content includes blatant or implied insults based on the stereotypical behavior of certain groups. Most national tests employ people to deal with this problem, and teachers often don't realize their tests are offensive until it's too late. (Popham, 2014, p.128-129) Unfair Penalization Unfair penalization is the second form of evaluation bias. This happens when the content of the question...... middle of paper ......ations. The Glossary of Education Reform. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/test-accommodations/Schellenberg, Stephen J. (2004). Testing bias or cultural bias: have we really learned anything? San Diego, California. Blankenship, J., Hubbard, B., & Johnson, D. (2009). Bias in classroom assessment. Appalachian State University, North Carolina. Works Cited Popham, W. James. (2014). Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know (Seventh Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. (2013). Accommodations for testing. The Glossary of Education Reform. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/test-accommodations/Schellenberg, Stephen J. (2004). Testing bias or cultural bias: have we really learned anything? San Diego, California. Blankenship, J., Hubbard, B., & Johnson, D. (2009). Bias in classroom assessment. Appalachian State University, North Carolina.