Week 9: Assessment of Aptitude
Rebekah, four days before her fifth birthday, waited impatiently for her mother to take her for her Kindergarten readiness test. Since she was asking to enter Kindergarten and her birthday was late in the summer (after the July 1st cutoff), she was required to take a readiness test. She was reading chapter books and could count to 135 – she was sure that she would be accepted and was ready to show off her competencies to the assessor in the state school system.
Finally the day came, and she eagerly followed all the direction given accurately and well. She thought she was doing well, but the teacher giving the readiness assessment was having her do funny things, like walking heel to toe, catching huge ungainly balls after one bounce, and jump rope. She did not do well with the heel to toe, but she managed to catch the ball before it hit the ground – with one hand, and she could jump rope just a few times before the too-long rope tripped her up. Several days later the bad news came in the mail – she was judged not to be ready for school because she could not walk heel-to-toe at a distance that was deemed necessary, and she did not catch a ball after one bounce. She burst into tears, and her parents were bewildered by the “readiness test” results that were delivered. She was never asked to read since reading was not a pre-requisite to entering kindergarten, and she was never asked to talk about numbers above 5, because she was not expected to know such things.
Luckily for Rebekah, her parents petitioned and the school counselor allowed her to enter Kindergarten on probation. She remained in the top 2% of her classes through high school and completed college at the top of her class. At the basis of this true case study is the question whether or not the predictive validity of these tests is accurate? Research has found that the predictive validity of these tests to be extremely limited, thus their use in making decisions about kindergarten enrollment is highly questionable (Drummond & Jones, 2009, p. 216). As you work through this week’s information on assessment of aptitude, look carefully for what is being measured, how it is being measured, the applicability of the items, and how the information is used in schools, businesses, and industry.
Session Objectives
By the end of this week, you will:
- Describe the purpose of aptitude tests
- Explain the differences between achievement tests and aptitude tests
- Describe multiple-aptitude test batteries, specialized aptitude tests, adminissions tests, and readiness tests
- Explain some key areas assessed with specialized aptitude tests, such as clerical ability, mechanical ability, and artistic ability
- Describe admission tests and explain their purpose
- Describe the use of readiness tests
- List and describe the judicial decisions affecting employment and educational assessment
