These concluding comments on the series of articles introduced by Linda Siegel's paper (EC221505) summarize the bases for disputing the utility of intelligence tests. The learning disabilities field's resistance to abandoning use of Intelligence Quotient tests is also acknowledged, and improved assessment measures and further research are called…

Compared Stanford-Binet (Fourth Edition) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised as instruments for assessing the intellectual strengths and weaknesses of students (N=35) classified as learning disabled in elementary and secondary grades. Results suggest the tests will yield similar intelligence quotients for the learning disabled…

Norms were developed for Navajo Indian students for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, by sampling 16 percent of the Navajo school population from first through eighth grade in 8 schools in McKinley County, New Mexico. The norms, based on 539 students, help to separate cultural and language differences from learning…

This study investigated patterns of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) Third Edition subtest scores for 42 gifted children in grades 4-8. Variability from subtest means was highest on Similarities, Comprehension, Coding, and Symbol Search subtests. Significant weaknesses were found on the Block Design subtest, seen as a peak subtest…

Intelligence quotient (IQ) scores of 216 elderly Alzheimer's Disease patients based on 3 sets of recent age-extended norms were compared. Results demonstrate the importance of reporting the normative sample on which IQ scores for older adults are based and provide guidelines for selecting a set of age-related norms. (SLD)

Discriminant validity of several psychological tests was investigated for 24 reading-retarded and 23 normal Icelandic fifth graders. Differentiation was greatest on verbal intelligence and on various other verbal tests. Results indicate the need for an adequate intelligence measure in Iceland and development of refined measures of verbal skills.…

Commentary on "The Bell Curve." Points out that Herrnstein and Murray do not acknowledge their politically conservative funding sources. Discusses bias and inadequacies of IQ tests, lack of evidence of intergenerational reproduction of occupational classes, current underemployment of highly educated people, and the authors'…

Factor-analyzed data are reported from the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test for 1,535 whites, 226 African Americans, and 140 Hispanics. Factor structures yielded Fluid and Crystallized dimensions that were congruent across race and ethnic groups and provided construct validity for each subsample. (SLD)

This letter reports on a research study in which five students (initially identified as severely mentally retarded and/or autistic) were tested with and without the use of facilitated communication while facilitators were prevented from hearing the test questions. Positive results for four of the students raise issues about accurate educational…

The relationship between scores on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised (WISC-R) was studied for 13 white and 27 African-American academically deficient male adolescent delinquents. Results support use of the K-BIT as a screening instrument and the WISC-R as a follow-up or comprehensive…

Forty-five gifted children, ages 11-17, were tested with the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement. Results indicated 18 of 20 correlations between the area and composite scores were significant. The Stanford-Binet Short-Term Memory standard age score mean was lower than other scores' means. (Author/JDD)

This article introduces this special issue on the differential performance of various ethnic groups on traditional, norm-referenced intelligence tests. The article discusses the role of the court system in determining intelligence test bias and suggests that attention be focused less on the instruments themselves and more on how they are used.…

This study analyzed the relative efficacy of normative (population relative) and ipsative (person relative) measures for the study of intraindividual and interindividual differences in child ability. Ipsative ability measures were found to be uniformly inferior to their normative counterparts and conveyed no uniquely useful information. (Author/DB)

Conducted national consumer survey of preschool psychologists (n=185) regarding treatment and social validity of early intelligence tests for preschoolers with developmental deficits (n=7,223). Results demonstrated that early intelligence tests failed to be acceptable tools 43% of time and failed to document eligibility of over 3,000 young…

Validity of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) intersubtest scatter as an indicator of cognitive impairment due to brain dysfunction was studied with 316 brain-damaged men. When compared with the WAIS-R standardization sample, intersubtest scatter was not greater for normal persons of similar intelligence quotient. (SLD)