Measuring Intelligence
(Spiral) Introduction to Intelligence
KWL:
 K: List 20 words that relate to intelligence.
 W: Read the “Review” on Myers pg. 415. For each of the five
sections, come up with 2 intelligent questions about the
terms, ideas, or theories presented in that section.
 L: Listen and look for answers to your questions during the
lecture.
Is intelligence one ability, or is it comprised of
several, distinct abilities?
 One core ability
 A combination of
 Factor analysis: a statistical
several abilities
 Sternberg’s three
intelligence domains
 Gardener’s eight “multiple
intelligences”
 Fluid and crystalized
intelligence
procedure that links
underlying abilities
together to form
intelligence
 Spearman’s g is general
intelligence + spin offs
 Brain anatomy and neural
processing speed
Spearman and g
 When? 1904
 Governing Principle:
 Factor analysis:
 Find correlations among many different mental abilities related to
intelligence. Analyze them to find closely related clusters of abilities.
 If several abilities correlate highly with each other, some mysterious
single factor must be influencing them all.
 This uniting factor, or core, is called g.
 EX. Bob is good at spatial reasoning, memorizing equations, and French.The
one factor that all of these aptitudes have in common is g, or “general
intelligence.”
Spearman SPINOFFS!
 J.P. Guilford (1950’s) created his three-factor structure of the intellect, commonly known as SOI.
In his cubic model there are three separate factors that make up any intellectual activity (see left).
 Louis Leon Thurstone is known for the development of the Thurstone scale, which replaced
Binet’s original scale. Came up with theory of Primary Mental Abilities" (PMAs), which were
independent group factors of intelligence that different individuals possessed in varying degrees. He
opposed the notion of a singular general intelligence that factored into the scores of all
psychometric tests and was expressed as a mental age (see right)
Brain Anatomy and Intelligence
 MRI scans reveal a +.33 correlation between brain size (adjusted for
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body size) and intelligence score (Carey, 2007, McDaniel, 2005)
Correlation especially relevant to frontal and parietal lobes (Jung &
Haier, 2007).
Childhood intelligence linked with patterns of thinning and
thickening of the cortex. Kids who’s cortex thickness peak early (thus
indicating a shorter developmental window) are less intelligent than
kids who have a longer window of cortex development
Higher scores in adults linked with more gray matter (neural cell
bodies) in areas involved in attention, memory, and language (Haier
2004; Colom et al., 2006). Is g centered physiologically in gray
matter? See next slide
Correlation (+.3 to +.5) between perceptual speed and intelligence
scores (Deary & Der, 2005; Sheppard & Vernon, 2008).
Famous brains: Lord Byron, Beethoven, Einstein
Grey Matter vs White Matter
 http://www.indiana.edu/~p1013447/dictionary/greywhit.
htm
Sternberg
 When?
1985
 Cognitive Conceptualizations of Intelligence
 Sternberg’s triarchic theory and successful intelligence
 Triarchic Theory:
 Contextual subtheory: behavior and culture
 Experiential subtheory: reciprocal relationship between
behavior and intelligence
 Componential subtheory: cognitive processes that underlie
intelligent behavior
Successful Intelligence (1999, 2000):
(part of the Triarchic Theory; detailed offshoot of the Componential
Subtheory and Performance Components)
analytical intelligence: academic problem-solving assessed by
intelligence tests, which present well-defined problems having a single
right outcomes. Linked to grades and vocational success.
creative intelligence: is demonstrated in reacting adaptively to novel
situations and generating novel ideas.
practical intelligence: required for everyday tasks, which may be illdefined. Multiple solutions. EX. Managerial success (can you manage
yourself, tasks, and other people?)
Intelligent
Behaviors
Cognitive processes
Experiences and
learning
Figure 9.20 Sternberg’s triarchic theory of intelligence
THE ONE TO
MEMORIZE
Howard Gardner
 When?
1983
 Gardner’s multiple intelligences
 IQ tests emphasize verbal and mathematical skills and exclude other
important skills.
 General, descriptive theory of different “thinking styles” (compromises
its validity in the scientific community because not oozing evidence).
 Gardner’s research on the brain indicated that certain parts of the brain
specialize in certain tasks. If one part of the brain is damaged, people can
still perform tasks not involving the damaged part of the brain perfectly.
 Gardner suggests the existence of a number of separate human
intelligences
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Logical-mathematical
Linguistic
Musical
Spatial
Bodily-kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalist
Table 9-3, p. 364
What are fluid and crystallized intelligence?
 Psychologist Raymond Cattell. The Cattell-Horn theory of fluid and
crystallized intelligence suggests that intelligence is composed of a
number of different abilities that interact and work together to
produce overall individual intelligence.
 Fluid intelligence is the ability to think and reason abstractly and solve
problems. This ability is considered independent of learning,
experience, and education. Examples of the use of fluid intelligence
include solving puzzles and coming up with problem-solving
strategies.
 Crystallized intelligence is learning from past experiences and learning.
Situations that require crystallized intelligence include reading
comprehension and vocabulary exams. This type of intelligence is
based upon facts and rooted in experiences. This type of intelligence
becomes stronger as we age and accumulate new knowledge and
understanding.
(Spiral) Famous Studies on
Intelligence
 Studies 13 (“What You Expect is What You Get”) and -14 (“Just
How Are You Intelligent?”)
 For each “Famous Study,” students should
 (1) read the study completely,
 (2) outline each subcategory of each article
 introduction,
 theoretical prop.,
 method,
 results,
 discussion,
 sig. of findings/criticisms
Intelligence and Testing
 Focuses for this subunit:
 Intelligence Testing:
 standardization,
 validity,
 reliability
 IQ:
 history,
 equation,
 heritability (especially Scarr’s theory),
 ethnic studies,
 socioeconomic studies,
 cultural bias
(Spiral) “Assessing Intelligence” Outline (Module 34)
Define OR describe each:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Binet’s mental age
Terman’s Stanford-Binet scale
Sterns’IQ formula
Achievement vs aptitude
Wechsler's WAIS IV
Principles of test construction
1. Standardization
1.
2.
The normal curve
The Flynn effect
Reliability
3. Validity
7. The extremes of intelligence (low and high)
2.
= shows up on
at least one
released
exam
The Evolution of Intelligence Testing
• Sir Francis Galton (1869)
– Hereditary Genius: proposed that success runs in families
because intelligence is inherited. Based on Darwin
• Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon (1905)
– Commissioned by the French government in 1904 to study the
problem of children of newcomers to Paris being able to learn from a
regular school curriculum. Basis for special-ed.
– Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale: designed to single out
youngsters in need of special training and alternate
curriculum.
– Mental age: EX. a 4 year-old child with a mental age of 6
performed like the average 6 year-old on the test.
– Binet was eager to help children through the testing, but
he feared that the test would be used to label children and
limit their opportunities (Gould, 1981)
Verbal
1. Rearrange the following letters to make a word and choose the category in which it fits.
RAPETEKA
A. city
B. fruit
C. bird
D. vegetable
2. Find the answer that best completes the analogy
people : democracy :: wealthy :
A. oligarchy
B. oligopoly
C. plutocracy
D. timocracy
E. autocracy
Mathematical/Spatial
3. Which number should come next in this series?
25,24,22,19,15
A. 4
B. 5
C. 10
D. 14
4. Which diagram results from folding the diagram on the left?
The Evolution of Intelligence Testing
 Binet’s fears were realized soon after his death in 1911, when others
adapted his tests for use as a numerical measure of inherited intelligence.
 Lewis Terman (1916)
 Adapted Binet’s tests and re-normed them to test California school children.
 Developed the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, which doesn’t precisely measure
IQ but something similar.
 U.S. Government latched onto this idea and Terman promoted large-scale
intelligence testing that would “ultimately result in curtailing the reproduction of
feeble-mindedness and in the elimination of an enormous amount of crime,
pauperism, and industrial inefficiency.”
 New tests evaluated newly arriving immigrants and World War I army recruits. Only
certain % of immigrants from the “dumber countries” aloud to immigrate to U.S.
 German psychologist William Stern derived this formula from these tests:
 Intelligence Quotient (IQ) = MA/CA x 100
– divides a child’s mental (MA) age by chronological age (CA) and multiplying
by 100…this made it possible to compare children of different ages.
Modern Tests of Mental Abilities
 Achievement tests (reflect what you have learned)
vs
 aptitude tests (predict your ability to learn a new skill.
Ex. SAT is a “thinly disguised intelligence test (Garner, 1999). Aptitude
intended to predict how well you’ll do in college.
 David Wechsler (1955)
 Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS IV). Also created a version of the test for
school-aged children. Aptitude test, mostly, though has components of achievement
test.
– Doesn’t only yield a general intelligence score (like Stanford-Binet), but separate
scores for verbal comprehension, perceptual organization, working memory, and
processing speed.
– give more emphasis to nonverbal reasoning, yielding a verbal IQ, a performance
IQ, and a full-scale IQ.
– devised a new scoring system based on the normal distribution…the deviation
IQ. This scoring system is outlined on the next slide.
WAIS: Began development in the 30’s and
surpassed Alfred-Binet test by the 60’s.
Are IQ Test Scores Stable Over a
Lifetime?
 Yes and no.
 IQ scores are more likely to vary during critical
developmental periods when a child is young.
 As a child grows older, IQ test scores begin to stabilize
(Bloom, 1964).
 The pivotal age: 7
EX. Carla
 Age 2: 120
 Age 4: 110
 Age 7: 115
 Age 10: 115
 Age 14: 115
Principles of Test Construction
1. Standardization: the uniform procedures used in the administration and scoring of a test.
 Test norms: provide information about where a score on a psychological test ranks in relation to
other scores on that test…allows a psychologist to determine how a person scores relative to other
people.
 Standardization group: the sample of people that the norms are based on.
EX: PSAT results. What did they show you?
EX: What about DBA? Is it standardized? Lets look at your class on Data Director!
2. Validity: the test measures what it is supposed to measure.
**Are what you want to measure and the questions/tasks you put on the test correlated? EX: Would you
use handwriting analysis to gauge a persons intelligence?

Content validity: Does a test cover a representative sample of the content taught? Non-statistical.
EX. Does the SBA actually cover what we learned in class?

Construct validity: Does the test actually measure the psychological theory being studied. Statistics
are used to evaluate. EX: Does an IQ test really measure “intelligence?”
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Predictive validity: Does the test predict accurately the future result that it was designed to predict,
such as a person succeeding in a specific arena? i.e. aptitude test
Reliability: consistency
**Can the test results be reproduced? EX: You scored a 26 on the ACT.You take it again and score a 27.
Were the results about the same?
3.
Sample FRQ on Test Construction
 Jorge takes the ACT three times. The first time, he gets a 23;
the second time he gets a 24; the third time, he gets a 22.
These test scores are mediocre, yet they’re consistent. Jorge
then receives his Fall Semester report card. His cumulative
GPA is a 3.9. Describe what’s going on in this situation in
terms of the ACT’s reliability and validity.
 ANSWER VERBALLY
Reliability and Validity of IQ tests
 Exceptionally reliable – correlations into the .90s
 Qualified validity – valid indicators of academic/verbal
intelligence, not intelligence in a truly general sense
 Correlations:
 .40s–.50s with school success
 .60s–.80s with number of years in school
 Predictive of occupational attainment, debate about
predictiveness of performance
Figure 9.2 Test-retest reliability
Figure 9.3 Correlation and reliability
Figure 9.4 Criterion-related validity
(Spiral) Make Your Own Normal
Curve
 Write down 5-7 key points from the lecture.
 The other part of this assignment will follow after the lecture
(slide 35).
IQ Test
 Normal distribution:
statistical arrangement
of scores so that they
resemble a bell shape.
The bell shape is where
the majority of scores
fall, the middle.
**68% of people score
within 15 points above
or below 100.
**95% of all people fall
within 20 points of 100
**Top and bottom 2% are
“gifted” or
“intellectually disabled”
(mentally retarded)
Mental Retardation/Intellectual
Disability in IQ scores
 Mental
retardation/intellectual
disability is a substantial
limitation on functioning that is
characterized by significantly
sub average intellectual
functioning, along with related
limitation in two of eleven areas,
including communication, selfcare, home living, social skills,
academic skills, leisure, and
safety (APA, 2000)
1.
2.
3.
4.

3 levels of Disability
Mild: IQ btwn. 50-70, can read and
write, master simple skills, 85% of
individuals with retardation fall into
this category.
Moderate: IQ btwn. 33 to 55, can
become partially independent, live in
a self help setting. Can learn a basic
vocation sometimes
Severe: IQ btwn. 20 to 40, 5%
individuals fall into this category,
need supervision their entire lives,
but can learn a few simple skills,
which allows them to work in very
simple environments
Below 20: cannot learn much.
Dependent on others for just about
every taks
Gifted: IQ Scores
 Moderately gifted is usually defined by IQ score
Jean
Piaget
btwn. 130-150; a profoundly gifted child has IQ
score 180 or above.
 EXAMPLE: ShoYano, IQ is 200. Began Ph.D.M.D. studies in California at age 12.
 1921 Terman’s study of children with IQ scores
over 135 indicated showed that many gifted
children were well-adjusted and attained high
levels of education. More recent studies confirm
this.
 Critics of gifted programs points out that treated
kids as gifted produces a self-fulfilling prophecy
(see Rosenthal), but the kids aren’t necessarily
any smarter. Also, poor and minority kids are
often placed in deprived environments.
Gifted: IQ Scores
On the other hand:
 How do gifted children turn out?
(Terman & Oden, 1959)
 1500 gifted children were tracked over
65 years.
 30% never finished college
 2% flunked out of college
 9% had emotional issues
 7% committed suicide
**Brain areas responsible for higher
cognitive reasoning develop differently
in highly intelligent children. (Shaw,
2006)
**The moral of the story: While gifted
kids’ minds work differently, they are
not necessarily socially maladjusted and
their outcomes are not necessarily
different from those of non-gifted
children. That depends on a lot of
factors.
IQ Scores
 Do IQ scores predict job
performance?
 Not accurate at predicting
specific job performance, but
does have a moderate
correlation

Do IQ scores predict
academic achievement?
IQ test measure similar abilities
to those in academic settings

There are some, medium,
association between IQ and
grades.
**Other factors of success include
personal characteristics,
interest in school & willingness
to study

Fun Facts from “Assessing
Intelligence”
 Choose 3 facts that stood out to you personally regarding
traditional and modern theories of intelligence. Use them in
the discussion (review both traditional and modern theories
and especially testing norms).
(Spiral) Make Your Own Normal
Curve:
 Using pg. 420 as a guide, make a normal curve with the
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
following data set:
Your standard deviation is 10.
Your mean is 50.
What percentage of students taking this verbal
aptitude test will score between 40 and 70?
See next page for answer.
 Answer is 82%.
 Why?
 34+34+13.5=81.5
 Now, make your OWN normal curve. Set up a testing
situation, draw a curve, come up with a mean, a standard
deviation, and a question. Then, answer it!
Variance
 What is it?
 (1) A measure of the average distance between each of a set of
data points and their mean value.
 (2) It is also equal to the sum of the squares of the deviation
from the mean value.
 Why am I telling you this?
 If they give you a “variance” and ask you what the “standard
deviation” is, take the square root of the variance to find it.
 If they give you a “standard deviation” and ask you what the
“variance” is, square the standard deviation.
 EX. Variance=100, sd=10
 EX. Variance=36, sd= ___
 EX. sd=7, variance=49
 EX. sd=12, variance=____
Nature vs Nurture: Do We Inherit Intelligence?
Read the following results from multiple studies over the years. Does nature or
nurture tend to win out? In Myers pgs.428-9.
 Nurture
 Nature
 Twin Studies (100 of them) show that intelligence  Adoption studies show that adopted children
correlation for identical twins reared together is
.86
 Identical twins reared apart is still over a .7
correlation, which is high.
 Identical twins have similar gray matter volume
(Thompson et al., 2001)
 Specific genes pinpoint variations in intelligence
and learning disabilities (Myers, 428)
 Intelligence scores of adoptive siblings reared
together is a moderate correlation of .32
 Higher correlations between identical twins
raised apart than for fraternal twins raised
together.
 Adopted children’s intelligence greater resembles
biological parents; not adoptive parents
resemble adoptive parents’ IQ somewhat, because
adoptive parents shape children’s environment
(Locurto, 1990; Loehlin, Horn, & Willerman, 1997).
 Unrelated children who are raised in the same home
also show a significant resemblance in IQ (Locurto,
1990; Loehlin, Horn, & Willerman, 1997).
 Cumulative deprivation hypothesis true (children
raised in substandard circumstances would experience
a gradual decline in IQ as they grow older since other
children will be progressing more rapidly, e.g.
chronological age can keep up with mental age). See
examples from Appalachia and poor kids being
adopted by rich families.
 School attendance has positive correlation with IQ
(Ceci and Williams, 1997)
 The Flynn Effect (IQ’s increasing with better
education, nutrition, and technology)
With a partner, prepare a one-sentence statement that explains the relationship
between nature and nurture regarding intelligence in a nutshell.
“The Interaction of Heredity and Environment”
 1991
 Sandra Scarr’s (et. al) “interactionist” theory about “reaction ranges”
explains how genetics and upbringing interact to produce intelligence.
 “heredity may set certain limits on intelligence and environmental factors
determine where individuals fall within these limits” (Weiten, 361)
Wee Activity
EX. John was born and raised in a deprived environment. His geneticallypredisposed IQ range is 110-125. Where will he likely score on an IQ test?
EX. Susan was born and raised in an enriching environment. She attends
school, works hard, and sets high goals for herself. Her geneticallypredisposed IQ range is 90-105. Where will she likely score on an IQ test?
EX. Susan’s identical twin, Pam, was born and raised in the same
environment as Susan. Pam misses school frequently, does as little as possible,
and is indifferent about her future. Where will she likely score on an IQ test?
Group Differences in IQ Scores
A Socially-Charged Dimension of the Nature vs
Nurture Debate
 “Although the full range of IQ scores is seen in all ethnic groups,
the average IQ for many of the larger minority groups in the
United States (such as African Americans, Native Americans, and
Hispanics) is somewhat lower than the average for whites. The
disparity ranges from 3 to 15 points” (Weiten, 361-362).
 “If there were no group differences in aptitude scores,
psychologists could politely debate hereditary and environmental
influences in their ivory towers. But there are group differences.
What are they? And what shall we make of them” (Myers, 432)?
 “The bell curve for Whites is centered roughly around IQ 100; the
bell curve for American Blacks roughly around 85; and those for
different subgroups of Hispanics roughly midway between those
for Whites and Blacks” (Avery et al, 1994).
(Spiral) Group Differences Jigsaw
 Group #1: Read “Gender Similarities and Differences”
(Myers, 432). In which areas of assessment do men and
women differ and why?
 Group #2: Read “Ethnic Similarities and Differences”
(Myers, 435). How and why do scores vary among people of
different ethnic backgrounds? Name at least 3 examples.
What are the exceptions?
 Group #3: Read “The Question of Bias” (Myers, 438). What
kinds of biases do we see in testing and how do they happen?
Also, explain stereotype threat.
Guide to “Group Difference”
 Gender
 Women surpass men in verbal, computational skills, and general intelligence, but only
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

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slightly.
Women surpass men to a greater degree in emotional intelligence.
Men surpass women to a greater degree mathematical problem solving and spatial
ability.
Notable gender differences are seen in the extremely high end and low ends of the bell
curve. For example, when males and females who have extreme mathematical aptitudes
compete, men outnumber women greatly.
Males’ scores vary more than females’ scores.
Reasons:
 (1) evolutionary gender tasks require male spatial reasoning ,
 (2) the male exposure to specific hormones in the womb enhance spatial/problem
solving ability, and
 (3) the different patterns of socialization of boys and girls and resulting social
expectations.
Source: Myers
Guide to “Group Differences,”Ctd.
 Ethnicity:
 “The bell curve for Whites is centered roughly around IQ 100; the bell curve fro American Blacks
roughly around 85; and those for different subgroups of Hispanics roughly midway between those
for Whites and Blacks” (Avery et al., 1994)
 The Black-White difference has diminished somewhat in past years (Dickens & Flynn, 2006).
 New Zealanders of European descent outscore native Maori New Zealanders. Israeli Jews outscore
Israeli Arabs. Most Japanese outscore the minority Burakumin. Hearing people outscore deaf
people (Braden, 1994; Steele, 1990), Zeidner, 1990)
 Yet, “millions of Blacks have higher IQs than the average White” (Murray and Herrnstein, 1994).
So, do group difference provide a basis for judging individuals?
 Why?
 The world has differing climates and survival challenges (many research studies).
 Environmental determinants of heritable traits. EX. Give hearing children, who grew up
hearing the testing language, a test based in that language. Give deaf children, who grew up
speaking a different language, the same test. Hearing children will score higher.
 Genetics research that indicates that races are almost alike in genetics. Indeed, Europeans and
dark-skinned Africans are more genetically similar than are dark-skinned African and the darkskinned aborigines of Australia.
Guide to “Group Difference” Ctd.
 Race is not neatly defined biological category. Is race really biological or is it just
social? So why segregate test scores by race?
 Asians outscore Americans on math achievement and aptitude tests. However, this is a recent
phenomenon, and it may be due to cultural differences and the fact that Asian students attend school
30% more time.
 Research shows that nutrition and educational culture have always impacted intelligence and that
today’s test scores may point to socioeconomic differences between Caucasian and African
Americans.
 Caucasian and African American infants score equally well on intelligence tests.
 When Caucasians and African Americans are exposed to the same knowledge, test scores on
information-processing are comparable.
 In different eras, different ethnic groups have experienced golden ages, so how can certain races be
biologically inferior to others. When western Europeans were still swinging from trees, Northern
African and Persian societies were blossoming in science and literature.
 The achievement gap between Caucasian and African Americans increase in high school, but it
narrows again in college. This may be due to unequal environments in high school (you have to go to
the high school in which you are districted), but college environments are of more comparable
quality (you end up going to UNM, just like the kid who graduated from the Albuquerque
Academy).
Guide to “Group Difference” Ctd.
 Socioeconomic
 Minorities have depressed IQ scores b/c children grow up in “deprived” environments that
create a disadvantage- in school and in IQ.
 In general, white people and minorities grow up in very different circumstances.
 Minority groups have a history of “economic discrimination”
 Lower-class children likely to come from larger families=disadvantage in parental assistance.
 Poorer role models and language poverty.
 Poorer exposure to books.
 Less pressure to work hard on intellectual pursuits.
 Poorer schools.
 Malnutrition.
 Stereotype vulnerability: Minorities have the added pressure that, if they fail, others will
attribute that failure to their race or sex. This undermines emotional investment in the IQ
task.
The Question of Bias
 Are aptitude tests biased in that they are sensitive to
performance differences caused by cultural experience?
 What’s “bias?”
In the usual sense, it means that the test measures your
developed abilities as reflected by your education and
abilities. BIAS DOES EXIST IN THIS SENSE.
2. In Psychology, it means that a test predicts less accurately for
one group than for another (predictive validity).
PSYCHOLOGISTS CONSIDER MOST APTITUDE TESTS
“UNBIASED.”
1.
 When bias does exist, it takes the form of . . .
• Stereotype threat or stereotype vulnerability: a self-
confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a
negative stereotype. This fear causes the subject to score lower
on intelligence tests.
(Spiral) The Question of Bias
 Read through the section on “The Question of Bias” (Myers
pgs. 438-440). Then finish the ending of each scenario. Then
explain why each scenario would end in such a way using the
terms and concepts from your reading. Here’s are the
situations.
Scenario 1:
 You are the son of Honduran immigrants.You attend a low
class high school.You know your school is under
“restructuring” from the State.You’ve heard from fellow
students that your school has such test scores because of its
“ESL problem.”You know that ESL refers to people who are
trying to learn English, like you.You’ve also watched
frequent news reports about crime that has happened within
your school’s boundaries.Your brother just took the ACT. He
scored a 21. His buddies ridiculed him for “trying to be an
American.”You want to go to college, too.You sit down to
take the ACT.
Scenario 2:
 You are the son of Honduran immigrants.You attend an
upper class high school.Your school is new, and there’s an
energetic feeling in the air.Your parents are uneducated
themselves, but they want you to “make something of
yourself,” so they have made you read a book in English every
night since you were six years old. Many of your friends are
Hispanic, and they live in your neighborhood. Sometimes you
get together with them and study, and sometimes you just
hang out. One day at lunch, a group of you is talking about
taking the ACT.You go to the counseling office and sign up.
Since you all want to go to college together, you help each
other study. The day of the test arrives.You sit down to take
it.
Scenario 3:
 You are a sixteen year old Africa American girl.You were born
near down town Philadelphia.You speak the dialect known as
Black English Vernacular (Ebonics).You have always done well in
school, and your family has always placed a high importance on
education.Your Spanish teacher has been pushing you to take the
AP Spanish test.You have studied, and you’re prepared.You enter
the room.You see kids of all different races and all different areas
of the city in the room. The test proctor is a white male teacher
from a suburban school.You smile at him as you take your seat,
but he seems shy and uncomfortable. He manages finally to smile
back. As he passes out the tests, he reads in the testing instructions
that “you must speak clearly in order to receive the point.”You
become nervous.Your dialect in English causes you to speak quite
differently in Spanish. Instructions are given to begin.
Scenario 4:
 You are a sixteen year old Africa American girl.You were born in the
suburbs of Philadelphia.Your parents are lawyers, and they are
pushing you to graduate high school with highest honors. Many of the
kids in your school are also African American, but many are also
White, Hispanic, and Asian.Your best friend is the daughter of
Chinese immigrants. One of your other friends is a Hungarian who
moved to the U.S. and learned English when she was eight. Her
parents own a large textile business.You are all taking Spanish
together, and your teacher has encouraged all of you to take the AP
Exam.You study and feel prepared. When you show up to the
designated testing location, you realize to your delight that Mrs.
Smith, a math teacher from your school, is proctoring the test! As she
passes out the tests, she reads in the testing instructions that “you
must speak clearly in order to receive the point.” Your dialect of
English matches that of Mrs. Smith. Instructions are given to begin
the test.