According to the History Matters web site and the sample test provided as an illustration of IQ tests given to World War I veterans, this was a means to measure intelligence in both veterans and potential immigrants. After taking this sample test, I missed 6 out of 20 questions, making my test score a 70%. I do not believe that this sample test would be an accurate assessment of anyone’s intelligence, much less the intelligence of a potential immigrant who may have been raised in a different culture, speaking a language other than English. Questions asking about the prominent industry of Minneapolis, what George Ade is famous for, and what Bull Durham is the name of are obviously things that only someone living in the United States would know about, unless that potential immigrant had spent a lot of time studying American culture. It is an example of standardization but definitely not necessarily valid or reliable.
Standardized testing is commonly used in American schools to measure the progress of students and how well schools are doing when it comes to teaching children. However, even standardized testing does not measure an individual’s intelligence. They only measure what students may have learned throughout a specific course or semester in the classroom.
According to Meador, “Standardized testing causes many teachers to teach to the tests,” thereby inhibiting the creativity of students and “can hinder a student’s overall learning potential” (2018). Although it can be difficult to test groups of students to actually determine their intelligence without these standardized tests, these tests are not infallible. The institutions of our public and private schools are not designed to allow individuality regarding the learning process. So just as the sample test provided by History Matters was not a valid or reliable measure of intelligence, standardized testing is no more valid or reliable.
- History Matters. IQ Tests go to War – Measuring Intelligence in the Army. Retrieved from http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5293%20(Links%20to%20an%20external%20site.)Links%20to%20an%20external%20site.
- Meador, D. (September 18, 2018). Examining the pros and cons of standardized testing. Thought Co. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/examining-the-pros-and-cons-of-standardized-testing-3194596.
