Lower Test Scores

 

Previously, for many decades intelligence test scores increased. For the last two decades, test scores have decreased. Whenever intelligence is at issue, consider demographic. Intelligence score “discoveries” are a consequence of sampling. How has the demographic changed? In the earlier decades the educated population increased. By definition, the people tested are the educated. With increase a greater proportion of the population was tested. Throttling back reduced the population tested. The impact on scores is apparent when you see how the population changed. The answer is grades and privilege. There are four possibilities:

Good test scores, good grades	Good test scores, poor grades
Poor test scores, good grades	Poor test scores, poor grades

 

People with poor scores and grades, except for the privileged, do not persist in school.

If the unprivileged with good scores and grades are also smart, they may recognize that continuing in school is not an opportunity. Learning is the antidote to idealism.

I had good test scores and poor grades. Due to various pressures and expectations of the time such as the draft and social promotion, people like me hung in a little longer. Today that is not the case. We are not going into debt on a losing cause. Teachers resent us. Regardless of our behavior, we are a disruption.

Privileged students get coaching, often by the teacher doing the grading.

It used to be that unprivileged students with good grades and poor test scores left. Lately teacher’s pet demands more consideration.

Until the Second World War, education was a bastion of privilege. Returning to serving privilege and with schools going out of business, we see decline in scores.