Intelligence testing in schools has been a topic of high debate in our society. Since its introduction in France when French psychologist Alfred Binet “designed a formal test of intelligence that would help identify children who were unable to learn as quickly or as well as others” (Psychology book) to the First World War leading up to present day its adoption into schools has been marked by unfairness, unreliability, and invalidity. But, efforts have been made to fairly standardize tests such that issues of cultural bias for example are eliminated. So, intelligence testing continues to be an arguable measurement that “has spawned a variety of aptitude and achievement tests that shape the educational choices of millions …show more content…
(No). Still, many positive attributes are seen throughout its long and historic use and with this it can be seen to be a highly reliable source in some cases. For example, individually administered tests such as the “WISC-II and SB-IV” (Psych book) though not adhering to all aspects of intelligence these tests have proven to show positive results in predicting school achievement. This allows schools to properly make “decisions for gifted [students], as well as learning disabled and intellectually challenged students [furthermore] because they have been standardized and researched to a great deal, they are often seen as adding a degree of accountability to the identification process” (intel). Hidden under the shadow of its negative criticism people fail to see what intelligence testing can provide for students. Students are given the opportunity to have tailored instruction, a brief assessment of what they can profit from school and identification to see if students need more help or need to be in a more rigorous program. Alan Kaufman a clinical professor of psychology (at the Yale school of Medicine) further discusses this idea by …show more content…
The evolution of intelligence tests continues in order to find the ultimate way of measuring intelligence without aspects such as cultural bias, invalidity, and unreliability. Though it will always be met with arguments against any form of intelligence testing as intelligence is multi-dimensional and many feel it cannot be measured by a test. There is both positive and negative aspects of intelligence testing in schools but as Diane F. Halpern (PhD of Claremont McKenna College) perfectly states “We 're not all the same; we have different skills and abilities. What 's wrong is thinking of intelligence as a fixed, innate ability, instead of something that develops in a context." (apa