Thank you all for your wonderful, in-depth, and heartfelt replies.
Did not even think to be present for any such testing, but just assumed it had to be without any influence from the family (completely independent), especially since the school seemed more likely to view parents as pushy rather than perceptive.
Our experience is similar to yours and momoftwins. Testing was conducted at the school and was treated as a relatively nonchalant non-event.
To this day, no one from the school has ever said anything close to good catch, or thank you for bringing it to our attention, or thank you for advocating for the student. Also, I would not want anyone to be able to say or give even the perception of impropriety. As it was, the school never offered to have us or mentioned it was a possibility, so we got the indication we were not invited.
Unfortunately, gifted high-IQ kids may
still often be unwelcome as they do not fit the mold of standardized education. Many/most schools do not enjoy the addition of a gifted pupil to their ranks, often because the schools do not know how to support the gifted pupil's unique learning trajectory... also because
other parents may tend to complain when the school does find a way to support a gifted pupil's learning trajectory.
Honestly, if it were not for the best interests of our child, some of the school personnel were the last people I would ever choose to join this topic discussion.
Beyond those who join the discussion, many thousands of others read the forums over time, especially topics/posts found via web searches.
It feels like a touchy, sensitive, not popular and maybe politically incorrect topic.
By having open, honest, polite & respectful discussions about unique circumstances and authentic lived experiences (both positive and negative) regarding our gifted children, we can come to an understanding of the impact of those varied experiences (if any). For example, although this discussion thread does not represent research and is not a comprehensive or random cross-section of all parents whose children have taken IQ/achievement tests... certain themes emerge:
- Does parental presence = influence?
- Is there inherent advantage/disadvantage to the child being tested, of having a parent present?
- Does having a parent present contribute to the Flynn effect?
- Some parents have mentioned test prep - What role, if any, does test prep play in IQ test scores? In contributing to the Flynn effect?
- What role does subsequent re-testing play in the child's IQ score?
- Are there ethical considerations to parents being present?
- If parental presence is statistically of no impact, might it still have significant impact on an individual child?
- What are best practices?
The answers may be complex and boil down to "It Depends."
In discussing complex issues we may come to an understanding of whether certain differences in test administration may impact a child's individual scores and/or the future score trends within the community. From my quick read of posts on this topic over time, parental presence may be a precursor to fishing for reasons to invalidate a test's results (failure to establish parental desired level of: rapport, depth of probing, breaks for snacks, test session length, etc) if the parent is not pleased with the IQ score(s) of their child. This is just an observation, it is not to say the parental concerns are with or without merit. Knowing these concerns may arise, testers may wish to address these issues proactively. For example, it may be possible to manage expectations about level of rapport, length of test, snacks/breaks, etc.
Glad to hear that so many parents felt comfortable being there or nearby because it may have made the student feel more comfortable which is such a nice approach and probably the way it should be. Thanks for sharing.
I believe that another poster has accurately described that public schools typically do not have parents observe testing; it may be when parents are having children tested
privately that parents may
in some cases observe.
Some schools accept private testing done outside the schools, other schools do not but these independent, privately administered tests may help parents know their children better, illuminating aspects of the child's processing which the parent may have previously been unaware of.
It is my understanding that test administration guidelines would be determined by the test publisher (Pearson?) and the American Psychological Association (APA)? Although I previously understood that parental presence was forbidden, the powers-that-be may have wisely left the decision of whether a parent may be present to the individual tester, because "It Depends."
