Testing for Intelligence?

My opinion on, "A commitment to viewing young children holistically."

As we all experienced numerous tests to assess our intelligence and emotion, children today continue to go through series of tests--perhaps much more than we did in our time.

I think that intelligence and emotion testings should be used as development appropriate process to monitor the overall development. with addition,these tests should not be used to place children in certain classes.  Instead of using tests to place children into the "right" classes, school counselors and teachers should compare child's academic development using both formal and informal assessments (ie: intelligence testing and schoolwork). After evaluating these assessments, teachers and counselors should meet with parents and child to discuss the strengths and weakness and to provide positive encouragements as well as early intervention to improve child's weakness.  If a child is able to keep up in his/her current class with positive outcomes, he/she should remain in that group regardless what assessment results show.  However, if children show that they are much more advanced than their peers, children should be place together with others at same age level if possible. This way children who are gifted can continue to pursue advanced academic study while maintain age appropriate emotion level.

In order for this to success, it all begins with the attitude among professionals and parents. An attitude that shows the society that testings are not here to increase stress, to damage self-confidence, or to pull children out of their normal group.

"In what ways are school-age children assessed in other parts of the world?"

I chose to research on school system in France, because I always dreamed of visiting France. Here is what I discovered.

Alfred Binet, a French Psychologist, who began his journey after receiving law degree in 1878. He was not interested in formal schooling, so he decided to teach himself through reading psychology texts. He became engrossed with the work of John Stuart Mill in which led him to further his journey by working under Jean-Martin Charcot's laboratory at a hospital. His study and research primarily focused on intelligence, attention span, and intellectual development.

Eventually, he worked with Theodore Simon in creating the scale that consisted tasks that children are able to achieve in certain age level.  Although Binet did not become public figure or leading psychologist, a gentleman named Goddard brought the scale to United States and the scale became standardized test. Goddard's initial intention was to cultivate the "feeble-mindness" (Human Intelligence) from the society.

In current days of France, children are tested to be placed in appropriate programs at local schools or private schools. However, children with disabilities are permitted to take examination with accommodation if they attend regular school. Children who attend "regular" schools are required to take different examinations to pass and move onto next level.

Children with disabilities who have more severe difficulties in accomplish academically at regular schools are given an opportunity to transfer to special education programs with different curriculum.

This is a picture of Institut National de Jeunes Sourds de Paris (School for the Deaf in Paris, France).

Human Intellgience: Alfred Binet
www.indiana.edu/~intell/binet

Special Needs Education within the Education System-France
www.european-agency.org/country-information