American education and the IQ trap
For students, one score doesn't tell all.
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A survey in 2011 found that the predominant method of measuring whether or not students are gifted is assessing their performances in both an IQ test and a standardized academic test. Above: Students at Jackson Elementary School in Santa Ana. (Los Angeles Times / January 16, 2002) |
What does it mean to be gifted in the United States?
A national survey in 2011 found that the predominant method of assessment, by far, is the administration of IQ tests and standardized academic tests. At least 34 states, including California, consider such tests an indication of giftedness; they are mandated by at least 16 states. In contrast, only nine states require the use of tests that measure "creativity" and even fewer require the assessment of leadership, motivation or a talent for the performing arts. Although no state permits a single IQ score to determine gifted eligibility, 18 states set strict cutoff scores, and testing is typically a one-shot deal: You're either gifted or you're not, for the rest of your life.
On every count, these policies profoundly limit the intellectual and innovative possibilities of all
