Entry Testing and the Overrepresentation of Romani ... - UR Research

R40PITFALLS AND BIASOrientation Test for School MaturityKern’s School Maturity Test was developed in German in 1970, with a Czech revision by Jirásek, also in 1970. It isone of the most widely used assessments of a child’s readiness for school in the Czech Republic. There are threecomponents to this test: (1) human figure drawing; (2) copying simple, short sentences; and (3) copying a groupof dots/points. Nováková and Prokopec (2002) assert that, after three decades, this is still the best tool forassessing school readiness, and if a child is not successful in this test, the child should be referred for assessmentfor special educational needs. However, this test has not been revised since the 1970s and does not take intoconsideration the cultural backgrounds of Romani children, so the assertion that this is the best instrument forassessing school readiness is questionable. While this test might be reliable in assessing readiness for school forthe ethnic Czech population, it is not reliable in assessing immaturity (Kovářová, 2008, quoting the administrationmanual). If a child performs below the standard, the test must be re-administered after three months, and onlythen should a child be referred to a School Advisory Facility for further psychological and/or educational testing(Trnková, 2009, 37). It is important that this three-month re-administration protocol be followed and that pupilswho perform below the standard be provided with opportunities to practice the skills assessed so that whenthey are re-assessed they have the opportunity to demonstrate their growth over time.CONSEQUENCES OF TEST RESULTSFOR SCHOOL AND LABOR MARKET OUTCOMESLevels of education heavily impact participation in the labor market, particularly for members of Romani communities.Students must take entrance examinations to be accepted to secondary schools (ISCED 3), and most of theschools are competitive. Like the unified system of primary schools, the 2004/5 amendments to the EducationAct placed all schools, including practical (special) secondary schools under the single umbrella of “secondaryschools.” However, in practice, the divisions among secondary schools remain. There are three tracks in secondaryschooling: (1) secondary education that can be completed in one to two years that prepares the student forlow-skilled labor (ISCED 3C); (2) secondary education that can be completed in two to three years where the studentattains an apprenticeship certificate (ISCED 3C); and, 3) secondary education that can be completed in a sixoreight-year gymnasium, or a four-year program where the student completes a school leaving examination (ISCED3A). This last track is the only form of secondary education where students have the option to go on to tertiaryeducation.The high rate of unemployment in Romani communities corresponds with low levels of educational attainment.In marginalized communities (settlements), only 39.1 percent of the working age population is employed (Bodewigand Rutkowski 2008, 9). Bodewig and Rutkowski (2008, 6) go on to make a distinction between “unemployed,”which means that individuals are actively seeking employment, and “not in the labor force,” which indicates thatindividuals have stopped seeking employment after actively searching and not finding employment. According