My DD5 tested as MG (135) on the VCI & VSI composites of the WPPSI IV, but fell in the average range on the PSI, and had significant variances on her FRI subtests (10 on Matrix Reasoning & 15 on Picture Concepts).
Initially I was comparing these scores to the national norms (99th percentile in the strong areas, 50-58th for relative weaknesses), but then I started to think about the role that demographics might play in a particular school system. For example, we live in a town where most parents work in some type of professional position, and almost all of the high school graduates go on to college. I've read that the IQ of an average college graduate falls in the 115-120 range, and the average IQ of various professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc.) is usually around 125-130.
If IQ is largely a function of heritability and nurture, would it stand to reason that the average IQ in my daughter's school is probably somewhere in the 115 - 120+ range (84th - 91st percentile)? If we further assume that most kids would score relatively evenly across the various subtest areas, would that imply that my daughter's strengths are relatively modest compared to her peer group, but that her weaknesses are more significant?
In broader terms, should a school's demographics (or perhaps standardized testing scores) be taken into account when deciding whether/how to advocate on behalf of your child?
