I understand the theory behind it. I just don't see how a written test such as this can be racially biased. Either you know how to put out fires or you don't.
On Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 4:51 PM, Judah McAuley<[email protected]> wrote: > > The theory, as written into law, goes like this: > > If all the people passing your test are white and all the people > failing your test are not white, chances are that the test is not > really fair. > > It is difficult to go into all the possible criteria for all the > possible tests out there, so they went for an outcome based litmus > instead. If the test is producing a proportionate number of minority > folks who are passing, then the test is reasonable. If the testing > situation is such that all the non-white folks are failing, something > may be fucked up. Interestingly enough, the law doesn't *require* that > you throw out the test, you can argue for it on other grounds. New > Haven, however, decided to chuck the test because non-white folks were > failing it disproportionately. So they were actually trying to be > "good" even when they didn't have to. The firefighters who passed the > test, however, were unhappy that they would have to take a new test. > > So, the question became: should the test be judged on the basis of the > perception of fairness in the test or based on the actual outcome of > the test? It wasn't a question of whether racial diversity was a > proper goal or not. It was a question of how best to judge fairness in > a reasonably uniform manner. An interesting question indeed. > > Judah > > On Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 12:55 PM, Jerry Barnes<[email protected]> wrote: >> >> I find it interesting that the test was supposed to be devoid of potential >> racial problems. >> From the WSJ: >> >> "The city set aside the results, although the test had been designed by an >> experienced Illinois company, Industrial/Organizational Solutions, which >> routinely scrubbed its assessments for any possible racial bias to protect >> the agencies from potential civil rights complaints." >> >> It looks like New Haven went out of their way to avoid the problem that they >> found themselves in. The irony. >> >> >> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Want to reach the ColdFusion community with something they want? Let them know on the House of Fusion mailing lists Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:299232 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
