Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums THINKING BIG About Gifted Education Achievement vs. IQ

Hi,

I just wanted to let out some of my thoughts. I have been seeing examples of how many individuals overachieve in relation to their IQ. My tests scores are good and all, but I am wondering if a certain amount of nurture in childhood can make achievement test scores seem high in relation to IQ (i.e., hypothetically someone scores in the 97-98th percentile on SATs and standardized tests, and an IQ <90th percentile) or if both would be relatively on the same level (Both SATs & standardized tests and IQ at the same level)? Thank you.

I think there are many moderately gifted kids that work hard get perfect scores on the SATs. I know several years ago, a fellow I knew had his daughter retake the SAT after a prep course and she immensely improved her math scores.

Isn't that why they always review the tests and revamp? I always tell my kid that someone less smart can do better and be more successful if they do the work and she doesn't. Hilliary Clinton is a prime example of someone moderately gifted who works really, really hard. But makes a lot of stupid errors in judgement.

Let's compare IQ testing to measuring height--a measure of some innate thing that is a combination of genetics and environment. Let's compare achievement testing to basketball tryouts--it measures things that have to be taught, and it helps to practice. Being tall makes some of those skills much easier to attain. It wouldn't be logical to assume that the tallest people are automatically also the best basketball players.

And remember that correlations are very, very rarely 100%. So even if there is a meaningful correlation between height and basketball excellence, height doesn't capture all of the factors that contribute to NBA success. For example, Isaiah Thomas.

Plus, regression to the mean. If you have two measurements, one of which is a fair distance off the mean, the second measurement is likely to be closer to the mean.

And big picture, the question of over/underachievement is less significant to an individual's outcomes than their capacity to make the most of the opportunities that come their way by exercising character skills.

I was going to say Spud Webb, but I guess that just shows my age.

Hello!
Need help,
My son , he is in 4th grade now , took an assessment last year ( 3rd grade ) . It called NNAT3 ( intellectual ability category ) . And our district ( LAUSD) sent me his result , just one paper that says 99.7 ( percentile rank)
They putted him on HGA program.
How can I interpret his score ?
Any information about this test please
Thanks

Welcome!

The NNAT3 only has one score, so what you have is pretty much all the data there is to see (excellent score, btw). It's a nonverbal reasoning test that is supposed to be relatively culture-fair, which is why your district uses it (there were lawsuits some time ago regarding cultural and linguistic bias in this type of testing).

Congratulations to your DC on placement in the HGA program! Hope the school year is going well.

Thank you for this information