NCJ Number
156781
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 64 Issue: 8 Dated: (August 1995) Pages: 27-31
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the courts' standards to evaluate the legality of employment tests used by police departments, which have a disparate effect on groups of persons based upon their race, color, national origin, sex, or religion.
Abstract
The article briefly discusses the legal concepts of disparate impact and business necessity. It then examines in detail the notion of validation, a scientific method adopted by the courts as a guide for assessing the business necessity of tests. Types of validation include criterion-related validation, content validation, and construct validation. Because of the complexity of a police officer's job, which requires a wide variety of skills and abilities, managers would be well-advised to move away from reliance on cognitive testing to include the assessment of other types of skills. 22 notes