The Topeka state journal., 1920-04-03
PASS A Good TEST
Pupils of Topeka Schools Grade
High in Intelligence.
Development of Binet System
Proves Popular Here.
MANY ADVANCE IN CLASSES
Psychological Takes Place of
Pedagogical exams"
One High School Teacher
Makes Record Grade of 80.

Pupils OF Topeka public schools
have made good" in Intelligence
tests" newer and more accurate
method of determining the pupils
general intelligence than by the formi-
dable exam in the three RS" and
| other subjects In other words, they
have made a creditabie showing in
| tests based upon psychological re-
| search, rather than on old-fashioned,
strictly pedagogical lines.
As a result OF the Intelligence tests"
thirty-five pupils have been advanced
a half grade or more, and two hum
dred other pupils are considered ex-
ceptionally intelligent for their present
classification and may be promoted
/ before the end OF the term
/ More than 2.s1S Topeka grade
/ school children have been put thru
the Omaha group test" consisting of
I a set of eight tests covering reason,
( judgment. memory and general in
formation, arranged by Paul r. Stew
enson OF the University of Omaha
| The Omaha test is based on the IA
nous intelligence test perfected by the.
noted French educator, Binet, which
was introduced in America in 1903
The Binet test can only be applied in
dividually and requires an hours time.
/ The Omaha test, answering the Same
purpose, may be given TO- a group of
0
| less than fifteen minutes.
AiredaIe q "Cow."
! Altho when asked whether an Aire-
1 dale was cow, jewel dog or
! chicken" Zone of the test questions),
| some pupils answered that an AiredaIe
was a cow,-altho they stated that
I influenza was an amusement'-and
altho many little Johnnies and Marys
stumbled Npathetically over the mental
arithmeticN intelligence" questions
| Topeka school children stand fairly
I high after undergoing psychological
research into their young minds.
The standard -'median of scores or
expected normal standings of pupils
as worked out by the Omaha group
test are higher than those Topeka
students were able to show in some
! classes while in other classes the
| local public excel the standard. It
! is believed that after the experimental
stage of the local intelligence tests has
passed, there will be no falling below
| standard in any class.
The result of the test given to more
| than. two thousand Topeka pupils,
from the fifth to eighth grade classes.
together with the sraEdard medium
OF scores" follows:
"a 6B ga 7B "A sB
TaInt STANDARD -is2 Is 20 sta se9 90 go 90
The grades shown are termed
''medians" because there are an equal
number of grades higher and lower
than the figures listed as the ranking
of each class Many pupils were classi-
fled with a much higher grade than
| their classes.
No One Has Made 100.
It is possible TO make 100 on the
been known to make the perfect score
1t is unusual for anyone's grade to be
in the ninety column, but a Topeka
| high school teacher passed with a
grade of go. For children. however,
| any mark above 60 Is considered as
Indicative OF unusual intelligence. One
| Topeka grade school girl scored 81,
while one grade was 1Oi
Il feel that our pupils have stood
the intelligence tests satisfactorily"
school faculty, who has been conduct
ing the tests. Mr.. Buckles is a direc-
tor of manual arts in the high school
as well as head of the research depart
ment. He has specialized in training
for efficiency at Leland Stanford uni
versity.
The work is only beginning in To-
peha, and by the time it is in practice
for several years, I feel that remark
able progress may be made with the
aid OF such tests" he said
According to the present day stand
the mental age is worthy OF more con-
sideration than the chronological age
Of a student. and should be more gen.
orally used in classifying A boy may
| be seven years old in actual years, but
may be nine years old mentally and
may arrive in the nine-year-old class
I by the promoti resulting from the
intelligence test system. Educators
everywhere consider the intelligence
\ test a fair and more accurate means
I Of learning pupils's intellectual
status. In q number of large Cali
4 fornia cities, promotions are made on
I intelligence tests alone. disregardipg
the indications OF pedagogical tests
Results a Secret
In no way are pupils, teachers-or
I parents=allowed to be embarras ssed
/ by the results OF the tests Papers
are not returned TO pupils and teach
ers are not allowed to make known
fthe results. The schools record Of
| the test grades OF individuals is not
made public. No pupil knows his in
/ dividuaI standing.
"ChIldren have no fear of the in
teIligence test" Mr. Buckles said
They have no nervousness about it,
such as they show in pedagogical ex-
| aminations. and they therefore make
! a better showing. They fill out the
/ test blanks in a calm manner, after
/ the teacher reads aloud explanations
and instructions"
The army test. an interesting intel
1 Hgence examination required to be
passed creditably by every army Of
| ficer. will be given to the pupils OF
! the upper grades and the first two
grades Of the high school before the