[IPAC-List] Ricci Update Prompts a Question

[MartinWAnderson]

The New Haven Register is the place to go for the ground level civil 
service actions that are taking place.  Martin W. Anderson, Ph.D.

Black firefighters try to halt promotions 
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/12/08/news/a3-blackfirefighters.txt>
NEW HAVEN Attorneys for a group of black city firefighters Monday filed 
a motion asking a federal court to halt the promotion of 10 other 
firefighters (including four minorities) who scored well enough on 2003 
exams to be promoted. The 10 firefight...
5.8K - Dec. 8, 2009; scored 277.0

10 more firefighters receive promotions 
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/12/05/news/a3-nefirepromotions_art.txt>
NEW HAVEN It had been a decade since the city, blocked by protracted and 
racially charged litigation, promoted any officers in the Fire 
Department. Now, the city has promoted 24 in the last 72 hours as it 
navigates through the post-Ricci legal land...
4.1K - Dec. 5, 2009; scored 239.0

Firefighter promotions on front burner: City intends to present names 
today 
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/12/01/news/new_haven/a1-nefirefighters.txt>
NEW HAVEN After a five-year legal fight, it took little more than five 
minutes Monday evening for one Hispanic and 13 white city firefighters 
to take a step closer to the promotions that a divided U.S. Supreme 
Court concluded they were unlawfully d...
5.6K - Dec. 1, 2009; scored 119.0

City board OKs New Haven Fire Department promotions list 
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/30/news/doc4b145f2cac5c8759782229.txt>
NEW HAVEN After a five-year legal fight, one Hispanic and 13 white 
firefighters tonight took one step closer to the promotions that a 
divided U.S. Supreme Court concluded they were unlawfully denied. In an 
unanimous vote, under order from a U.S. Di...
1.7K - Nov. 30, 2009; scored 119.0

Questions remain on promotions 
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/27/news/new_haven/a1-nericci.txt>
NEW HAVEN Fire Lt. Jack Ryan says he studied hard for his 2003 
promotional exam, and, based on unofficial results, scored high enough 
to earn a captain s badge. But as his 14 colleagues who won 
court-ordered promotions celebrate imminent upward mov...
5.2K - Nov. 27, 2009; scored 119.0

Promotions ordered for New Haven firefighters (with documents) 
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/25/news/new_haven/a1_--_riccidecision_1125.txt>
NEW HAVEN A U.S. District Court judge, under instruction by the Supreme 
Court, Tuesday entered a judgment finding that the city violated the 
civil rights of a group of white firefighters when it threw out two 
promotional exams in 2004, and ordered ...
8.7K - Nov. 25, 2009; scored 310.0

Judge orders New Haven to promote firefighters 
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/24/news/new_haven/doc4b0c7f632b093927209424.txt>
NEW HAVEN A U.S. District Court judge, under instruction by the Supreme 
Court decision, today issued an judgement finding the city violated the 
civil rights of a group of white firefighters when it threw out two 
promotional exams in 2004, and orde...
3.3K - Nov. 24, 2009; scored 189.0

7 firefighters seek to halt promotions 
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/18/news/new_haven/doc4b04260a9185e372324256.txt>
NEW HAVEN -- Even as the city prepares to promote from two 2003 Fire 
Department exams that became the focus of a controversial U.S. Supreme 
Court case, a group of black city firefighters has stepped in to say, 
not so fast. Seven African-American fire...
5.1K - Nov. 18, 2009; scored 239.0

City facing more firefighter suits (with document) 
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/13/news/a3-newhaven.txt>
NEW HAVEN Five months after a divided U.S. Supreme Court decision, a 
discrimination lawsuit by 20 white city firefighters is back in the 
local court where it began. But even as lawyers discuss the framework 
for implementing the high court ruling in...
6.2K - Nov. 13, 2009; scored 336.0



Richard Arwood wrote:

> Let me respond to John's questions by stating that I see the solution as a

> very simple one with two key requirements:

>

> 1.  Develop or design the best selection procedure that funds will support

> (hopefully one that minimizes or prevents adverse impact).

> 2.  Go way, way, way beyond the normal methods to "over recruit" minorities,

> so that the pool of applicants is massively saturated with those that you

> wish to see succeed.  

>

> That is precisely what we did in Memphis, TN, during the 1990s.  Now, the

> ranks of the fire department-at all levels- are represented by minority

> percentages that are equal or greater than the relevant labor market.  Now,

> when jobs are posted, there is no need to make those extra efforts, although

> City HR does ensure that the message gets out to the minority communities.

> Also, city high schools are now being served with fire and police

> "marketing" campaigns to, hopefully, inform and motivate students to get

> their diplomas and seek city employment.  It is working!

>

> ..................Richard

>

> =======================================

> Richard Arwood, Fire Chief (retired -Memphis, TN)

> Collierville, TN

>

> Join with us at:         http://www.iracing.com/

>

> =======================================

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org [mailto:ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org]

> On Behalf Of John Ford

> Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 6:32 PM

> To: IPAC-List at ipacweb.org

> Subject: [IPAC-List] Ricci Update Prompts a Question

>

> I appreciate the perspectives on the Ricci case and on best practices with

> respect to adverse impact.  They raise a question in my mind that I would

> appreciate perspective on from experienced selection folks.

>

> Suppose that you adopt targeted recruiting procedures with respect to an

> underrepresented minority group.  Could the following happen?  And if so,

> how should it be dealt with?

>

> --SCENARIO--

>

> Government agency X announces that it is concerned about underrepresentation

> of minority group Y in its workforce.  They adopt a number of measures to

> reach out to Y applicants, including placing something in their job

> announcements like "Qualified Y applicants are encouraged to apply."  

>

> This has a subtle effect on the applicant pool.  Before the targeted

> recruitment, self-selection among applicants resulted in an ability

> distribution around the assessment cut score that is equivalent for all

> subgroups.  After the targeted recruitment policy is announced, this

> changes.  Nonminority applicants who perceive themselves as barely qualified

> self-select out in greater numbers because they believe the policy reduces

> their chances.  Minority Y applicants who are marginally qualified apply in

> greater numbers because they believe the policy increases their chances.  An

> equivalent number of well-qualified applicants from all groups still apply,

> giving the agency a good, diverse pool from which to select one or two top

> applicants.  But the assessment seems to have adverse impact because it

> passes fewer minority Y applicants overall.  It is seen as a biased and

> inappropriate assessment.

>

> --END SCENARIO--

>

> My concern is that this can happen even with a valid assessment that under

> reasonable circumstances would not have adverse impact.  It appears to

> because awareness of the policy by the applicant pool, and their

> understandable response to the policy, can create an applicant pool with

> different ability distributions among nonminority and Y applicants.  Thus

> will likely be seen as a fault in the assessment procedure rather than as a

> result of applicant response to the recruitment policy.

>

> So, do other assessment practitioners agree that this can happen?  If so,

> how could we reasonably discriminate this situation from one in which there

> is a biased assessment?  Or is this not a distinction we would care to make

> because we hold to a definition of bias that sees it as present whenever

> there is differential impact on demographic subgroups?

>

> Your responses are appreciated.

>

> John Ford

> Research Psychologist

> U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board

>

> _______________________________________________________

> IPAC-List

> IPAC-List at ipacweb.org

> http://www.ipacweb.org/mailman/listinfo/ipac-list

>

> _______________________________________________________

> IPAC-List

> IPAC-List at ipacweb.org

> http://www.ipacweb.org/mailman/listinfo/ipac-list

>

>