NY teachers' test discriminatory to black and Latino applicants, judge says

NEW YORK -- A judge says a test given to New York State teaching applicants is racially biased.

U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood ruled Friday that a test given from 2004 through 2012 was discriminatory to black and Latino applicants.

Since 1993, the state has required prospective teachers to pass a liberal arts exam before being certified. Another judge found another version of the test discriminatory a decade ago.

Wood said an analysis of the latest version of the test had shown that pass rates for blacks and Latino applicants were between 54 percent and 75 percent of the pass rate for whites.

She said the test was not properly validated and not related to actual tasks teachers carry out.

Lawyers did not immediately return messages seeking comment.