Testing for Intelligences?

As a mother of two young boys I have to say that testing a child only by academics is definitely not the way to go. Both of my sons have their own special talents and capabilities. My oldest is athletic is great at math but has always struggled in Math. My youngest is an explorer, he is very observant, is a wonderful reader and is great at figuring out gadgets. I do not think that there should be only a standardized test to test children because not every child does well on a standardized test.  Students all learn in various ways such as visually and auditory, why shouldn't it be the same way when it comes to test day? Also, the downfall of standardized test is the time limit which can be stressful on a child who needs more time to figure out the answer. If you are to test a child academically, you would also have to test a child physically and emotionally as well because the child may or may not be emotionally ready to take a test. The test does not consider if the child lacked sleep from mommy or daddy fighting the previous day, or having a close one die.

How does the US compare to other countries?

The United States may be a superpower but in education we lag behind. In a recent comparison of academic performance in 57 countries, students in Finland came out on top overall. Finnish 15-year-olds did the best in science and came in second in math. Other top-performing countries were: Hong Kong, Canada, Taiwan, Estonia, Japan and Korea.

Students in the United States performed near the middle of the pack. On average 16 other industrialized countries scored above the United States in science, and 23 scored above us in math. The reading scores for the United States had to be tossed due to a printing error.

What makes Finland so hot?

Finland's stellar performance has drawn the attention of education and government officials around the world. These experts have uncovered many attributes of the Finnish educational system that are distinctive and contribute to the success of Finnish students. Some of these features are:

• The Finnish school system uses the same curriculum for all students (which may be one reason why Finnish scores varied so little from school to school).
• Students have light homework loads.
• Finnish schools do not have classes for gifted students.
• Finland uses very little standardized testing.
• Children do not start school until age 7.
• Finland has a comprehensive preschool program that emphasizes "self-reflection" and socializing, not academics.
• Grades are not given until high school, and even then, class rankings are not compiled.
• Teachers must have master's degrees.
• Becoming a teacher in Finland is highly competitive. Just 10% of Finnish college graduates are accepted into the teacher training program; as a result, teaching is a high-status profession. (Teacher salaries are similar to teacher salaries in the U.S., however.)
• Students are separated into academic and vocational tracks during the last three years of high school. About 50% go into each track.
• Diagnostic testing of students is used early and frequently. If a student is in need of extra help, intensive intervention is provided.
• Groups of teachers visit each others' classes to observe their colleagues at work. Teachers also get one afternoon per week for professional development.
• School funding is higher for the middle school years, the years when children are most in danger of dropping out.
• College is free in Finland.

 Students are not sorted into different groups or schools but different types of learners are learning together. In this kind of setting high achieving students seem to serve as positive models for their less advanced classmates. The pedagogy differs from that applied in systems characterized by tracking and streaming. Efforts are made to provide instruction to cater to the needs of different learners in terms of their skills and interests."

References

Berger, Kathleen (2009) The Developing Person

Wilde, Marian Global grade: How do U.S. students compare?