Bostonian, a "knowledge" test, I agree. On a "skills" basis, I also agree.
On an aptitude test, however, being used as a proxy for IQ, I disagree.
That is no different than "preparing" for the WISC.
If the test subject has been groomed, the instrument loses some of its validity with respect to that particular purpose.
For typical-age students taking the SAT for college admissions, different purpose. There, they are taking it to demonstrate aptitude for COLLEGE, not 'extraordinary ability relative to age-mates.'
Ergo, practice exams and remediation of any underlying gaps = fine for students who will soon be applying to college. This is a body of material and a set of skills that the most capable of those students SHOULD have mastered.
Different population when you look at talent searches. That's a demographic that inherently SHOULD be (mostly) naive with respect to the test vehicle.
Prepping means that they aren't. It also favors families from higher SES who can afford/invest in such preparation.
There's probably no clear dividing line on what constitutes "familiarizing" and what constitutes "coaching" here...
but I stand by my assertion that actively "prepping" a child for a talent search (or IQ test, or testing into a GT program) is ethically questionable.
Last edited by HowlerKarma; 08/31/13 09:03 AM.
