A little over 35 years have passed since the original "Larry P." decision was handed down in 1979 by Robert Peckham, a federal judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The "Larry P. case" is a shorthand moniker that refers to a class action lawsuit, supported by the Bay Area Association of Black…

Presents a recent history of the public controversy concerning academic aptitude/intelligence tests. Offers suggestions about test technology and research that may influence public interest groups to develop a better perspective. Urges better cooperation between professional and public interest groups. (Author/ABL)

Examines the Eurocentric basis of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Third Edition (WISC-III) and reveals its antagonistic and incompatible relationship to an Africentric conception of intellectual and mental health. Suggests that the WISC-III provides a measure of misorientation quotient rather than intelligence quotient, and notes…

Measuring student intelligence has been problematic in the United States since standardized testing first began in the early 1900s. The omnipresence of standardized testing in student populations is illustrated by the most popular contemporary tests which are used by some scholars to advance the notion that intelligence differences between whites…

Gignac [Gignac, G. E. (2006). "Evaluating subtest "g" saturation levels via the single trait-correlated uniqueness (STCU) SEM approach: Evidence in favor of crystallized subtests as the best indicators of "g"." "Intelligence," 34, 29-46.] used a single-trait correlated uniqueness (STCU) CFA approach to…

Chicanos have been limited in their educational opportunities, as evidenced by their underrepresentation in occupations and professions requiring extended education. It is proposed that intelligence testing is one part of an educational ideology that ascribes the Chicano's unequal educational existence to the group's inability to function…

The purpose of this article is to provide readers with an overview of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM). Special education is often used for meeting the needs of African American children and youth. Assessment reform is needed that emphasizes reliable and valid alternative assessment, linkages to the curriculum, and progress monitoring. CBM may…

The article describes the background of Larry P. v. Riles, a class action law suit involving disproportionate placement of minorities in classes for the educable mentally retarded in California, and outlines the specific findings and remedies underlying issues, including stigmatization of being classified retarded and the nature/nurture debate.…

The assessment of mental ability in Chicago Public Schools has been changed. The changes are because of the disproportionate number of Black children who were assigned to mentally handicapped classes. Placement decisions are now made by multidisciplinary panels which consider the total child not just the outcomes of prior learning. (VM)

Presents a class activity, in which students take two tests, that requires minimal preparation and encourages discussion on important aspects of testing, such as testing bias. Describes the procedure. Includes the two tests and the answers. (CMK)

Articles on IQ testing are presented: "Opportunity and Intelligence" (Stephen White); "Beyond the IQ: Education and Human Development" (Howard Gardner); "Beyond IQ Testing" (Robert J. Sternberg); "Working Smarter" (Roger J. Peters); "Varieties of Mind" (John L. Doris, Stephen J. Ceci); "Human…

Discusses differential and information processing theories of intelligence and the problems of measuring intelligence. Considers the influence of sociocultural factors on the test performance of individuals and the procedures which have been suggested to reduce bias. (RJC)

The System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA) is an assessment system compatible with Public Law 92-142. A general description of SOMPA is provided. (JKS)

Discusses issues pertinent to the testing of Hispanic children whose learning difficulties may indicate a handicap. Describes the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA) (Mercer and Lewis, 1979), reviews the educational status of Hispanic children in the United States, and outlines preliminary findings from the SOMPA II project.…

A critical review of the psychometric properties of the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA) model for student assessment is presented. The review criticizes the lack of validity of some of the measures but praises the goals of the system. (JKS)