A Tech Tale of Woe and My Time to Vent

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: daddyphatsax
As far as standardized tests being skewed, just look at the numbers. On the SAT in 1992, the scores for verbal and math sections were as follows, with average white score vs. average African American score
Verbal: 444 vs. 353
Math: 494 vs. 388

One of two conclusions can be drawn
1. Standardized testing is racially skewed.
2. White people are 20% smarter on average than African Americans.

The point that I'm trying to make is do the tests measure 3. intelligence, and if so, why is there this gap?

1. No.
2. No.
3. No.

That's not an example. Giving me the results as though they mean the questions are bad, is the same reasoning that use to make people think the sun revolved around the earth, because that's all we could see. Find me one question in the test that can possibly be racially skewed.

The tests are depicting the current state of children's mind. How much they've learned. What they are able to remember or solve. If the results say 353 for verbal, then spend more time teaching them english and speech skills. If the results say 388 for math skills, then spend more time teaching them arithmetic and algebra.

The tests aren't racially skewed, the kids are socioeconomically skewed. If 86% come from single parent households, but then they go home to babysit their 3 siblings, well that's the parent(s) fault. Sure, one kid out of wedlock is a mistake the best of us can make, but 4 is downright stupid. If your area is in such a condition, then no amount of excess funds will help... you can't deny that... the parentes have to care... no matter how fancy the books are, how many computers there are, how much salary a teacher makes, if the kids don't care to learn, they won't learn... and then they do bad on tests.

But I guess this is getting way off the subject, anyhow, it was a good attempt with those macs. If I were a teacher, I would have done the same thing.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: daddyphatsax
Thanks for the offer, but I've got some in-house people who are working on the problem. I have some faith in them, but against the "corporate standard," who knows?

Here's link for the SAT info, I hate when people post unconfirmed stats-
http://schatz.sju.edu/psychtest/race.html

Hmm... the score differences haven't changed much since 1983... table goes to 1993, so what does that mean? Wonder what kind of improvement happened during Clinton's terms?

interesting to note that the males always rank higher.

 

[daddyphatsax]

I completely appreciate that my example was ridiculous; it was meant to be. The individual test questions may not seem like they are racially skewed, but how do you account for the gap? This is the average by race, not class, so this includes poor white people too, as are upper-class African Americans, making the economic gap solution a little harder to believe. I just want to know why the gap is there.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: daddyphatsax
I completely appreciate that my example was ridiculous; it was meant to be. The individual test questions may not seem like they are racially skewed, but how do you account for the gap? This is the average by race, not class, so this includes poor white people too, as are upper-class African Americans, making the economic gap solution a little harder to believe. I just want to know why the gap is there.

Good question!

But it's been there since '83. We're now in '03, I wonder where it's at now. Probably the same. But I'm sure the test had to have changed several times by now. There IS the possibility, that verbal and mathematical skills aren't as strong in the african descendent brain? Maybe it's skewed after all, but not the way we think? Like different groups of the human race have developed different strengths over time. If there were a few dozen different focuses of the test, like music, logic, memory, art, etc.

Maybe we could get a better insight into this if instead of a "white" category, there were a few dozen different backgrounds ... but most of us are such mutts now it's rather difficult. But look at the Asian scores, they're the highest. Maybe it just comes down to parental discipline, plain and simple.