ANALYSIS-Global exam grading algorithm under fire for suspected bias
In The News Piece in Reuters
July 21, 2020
Iris Palmer was quoted in Reuters about statistical models that assign grades and how certain students with low access to resources are at an automatic disadvantage from these algorithms.
Iris Palmer, a senior advisor with the Education Policy program at New America, a Washington-based think tank, said she had never heard of a statistical model being used to assign grades.
“The way we use algorithms in education can be especially problematic if there is bias,” she said. “The results can determine the course of the rest of your life.”
She was particularly worried about how the algorithm may have weighed the historical performance of a school when assigning this year’s students’ grades.
“In schools with a lot of turnover, or without a lot of resources, this could really not work well,” she said.
“Students ... who are black or low-income are probably at a disadvantage from the algorithm,” Palmer added.
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