Mandatory Psychological Tests For Kids

[Guest guest]

I could not reach the link for this article. It said it was not found. I

went to the main website, www.prisonplanet.com but still could not locate

the article.

 

But, routine testing has been done in public schools in the US for many

years. In addition to standardized testing to determine academic

performance, IQ tests have been administered. I think these have provided

some unfair results in that there has always been an argument as to whether

standardized IQ tests adequately reflect the cultural differences present

in the population of children attending public schools. But they have been

used to determine academic placement, such as entrance into gifted programs

and placement in remedial programs as well as non academics such as

referrals to school counselors and programs for children with behavioral

problems. So stepping into the minds of our children via Psychological

testing is already in place and functioning. In most states that I know

of, these tests are administered under the direction of someone who has

been trained in the administration of psychological tests, such as a school

counselor.

 

For anyone on this list with children in public schools, I would ask if you

had ever asked your child's teacher to see their standardized test

scores. Also, if your children have ever been considered for special

education classes, remedial education classes or a gifted program, you have

probably already given your permission for more advanced psychological

testing such as personality tests. I think it is always wise to know when

this testing is going to take place, who is giving it, and what it is going

to be used for. Perhaps the most important thing for your child would be

to know just who is interpreting the test results and what their

qualifications are. And of course it is wisest to be in attendance when

any evaluations of your child are discussed.

 

So in addition to being concerned about what future testing may be used for

and any future loss of parental rights, it would seem to be wise to use

your parental rights now and gently insist that you be involved in any

discussions of your child and his/her placement in, or rejection from, any

program in public schools and any discussions about their testing results.

 

Children are also sometimes " red lined " through their test scores

now. Some children are placed in an academic track very early on, and some

children eliminated from the expectation of higher education. These

classifications are supposed to be based on academic performance, but there

have always been heated disagreements about this process. Some believe,

and I am one of them, that these classifications often reflect the bias of

teachers, bad interpretations of test scores, improper administration of

testing, and are often based more on things such as race or income level

than true test scores.

 

This is why it is so important to ask each year to be kept informed of

testing to be given, and inclusion in any discussions about your child.

 

Kathy

 

 

 

At 10:08 AM 11/28/2004, you wrote:

 

 

>Comments?

>Misty L. Trepke

>http://www..com

>

>Congress Funds Mandatory Psychological Tests for Kids

>

>http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/november2004/231104mandatorytest

>s.htm

>

>One of the nation's leading medical groups, the Association of

>American Physicians & Surgeons (AAPS), decried a move by the U.S.

>Senate to join with the House in funding a federal program AAPS says

>will lead to mandatory psychological testing of every child in

>America ­ without the consent of parents