Article

Co-designing Culturally Responsive Reading Assessments

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Abstract

As societies become more diverse, the population of adult learners is also growing increasingly heterogeneous. Adult education systems must adapt accordingly to ensure that lifelong learning opportunities remain accessible and relevant for all. However, the cultural diversity and lived experiences of adult learners are underrepresented in existing assessments. To better represent the diversity of the learners, this study aims to apply culturally responsive assessment principles in the co-design of adult reading assessments. Nine adult educators and fourteen adult learners co-developed nine fictional representations (avatars) that reflect the cultural backgrounds, ethnic identities, lived experiences, and learning goals of adult learners. Eight reading passages were adapted by educators and then revised by test developers to align with these fictional avatars, ensuring culturally responsive tenets in the reading passages. Reflections from learners and educators highlighted enhanced engagement as well as challenges and areas for improvement throughout the study. The adapted reading passages showed appropriate readability levels, and the assessment items reflected acceptable difficulty levels for the target population. The study also showed that the co-design process strengthened key culturally responsive assessment principles, including shared power, engagement, high expectations, and an asset-based approach in test development. Suggestions for future research are provided.

Keywords: adult education, culturally responsive assessment, co-design, reading, fairness

How to Cite:

Immanuel, A. S., Nasyrova, A., Alakbarova, V. & Suarez Alvarez, J., (2025) “Co-designing Culturally Responsive Reading Assessments”, Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation 30(2): 2. doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/pare.3271