Comprehensive academic achievement tests are routinely used by school psychologists in psycho-educational assessment batteries to identify learning disabled students. A variety of assessment measures are used across age groups to determine if a discrepancy exists between academic achievement and intellectual functioning; however, among the most…

The author attacks not only the racism inherent in existing IQ tests, but the very concept of a standardized intelligence test, which, he asserts, lacks certain basic criteria of consistency and validity necessary to a scientific device. Part of a theme issue on intelligence. (SJL)

Two criticisms of the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA) are discussed: the alleged abilities of SOMPA to provide an approximate measure of a child's biological capacity to learn and to obtain an approximate measure of a child's basic potential. (See also TM 504 174.) (MH)

The administration of intelligence tests to various sociocultural groups is defended against charges that intelligence tests are discriminatory (TM 504 174). The author states that research has shown that intelligence tests are nondiscriminatory and comply with federal law, specifically Public Law 94-142. (MH)

The conference theme was Testing--Then and Now, based upon the assumption that psychometrists should review their origins and look forward to their future. In the area of intelligence testing, Nancy Bayley discussed the research that re-assessed previous concepts of the nature of intellectual growth and decline. Thelma Thurstone discussed new…