The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1959-07-23

EDITORS NOTE: This is the second
in series of articles on student guild
| ance. Others will appear in subsequent
editions of this newspaper.
BY DIR. Edward G. Roeber
Have you ever been caught in a
situation where you would like to
have a quick, easy solution to
your problem? If you have, you
are very much like the rest of us.
If you would like to see what
parents sometimes want, you
might be interested in reading
the mail of a vocational coun-
Selor.
1--WE have a boy who isn't do
ing so well in school. We we're
wondering if you would test him.
Maybe tests would help
him and -
do you give that test which
tells person what he is best
suited for?"
Gould we have an appoint
ment for testing. We don't have
much time. Could you do it
in an hour some morning?"
"I've been out of college for
ten years and am beginning to
wonder whether I ought to
change jobs. Do you have a test
that might help me?"
Gould you help us settle an
argument? My husband thinks
our seventh grade daughter is
real bright. I think she is just
a good normal youngster. Could
you give her an 10. test so
he'll stop Dragging about his
| genius?"
One thing stands out in each
request, All of them felt that
tests would in some way solve
their problems in a hurry.
Some tests are directly relat-
ed to vocational guidance. Other
tests are helpful but only indi-
rectly related to career plan
ming. In either case, it becomes
important that every parent
know something about tests and
what part they play in educa-
tional and vocational planning.
The beginning of standard
lied tests goes back a good
many years. The first test was
designed to help pick out chill
dren who needed a special kind
of training. Both World Wars
gave a push to the development
of testing. Today there are hun
dreds of tests, testing to some
extent such characteristics as in
terests, intelligence, scholastic
aptitude, personality, achieve
ment in skills or school subjects,
mechanical reasoning, space re-
lations, clerical aptitude, and
many others.
Tests are only tools. They can
be used by the amateur, confus-
ing both students and parents. Or
they can be used by the profess
sionally trained person, enabling
him to help both students and
parents.
Ordinarily students and par
ents expect too much from tests.
What then are some of the
things which parents should
know about tests?
Tests at best are only samples
of what a person can do or how
he feels about something. A test
of how we'll one can do arith-
metic cannot cover every pos
sible arithmetic problem. In
building such a test, it is neces-
sary to pick out a few arith-
metic problems which separate
those who know something from
those who know very little about
arithmetic.
If a test is a sample, it is i'm
portant to remember that sim
gle test may not always show a
students skill with arithmetic.
The sample for some reason or
other may be a poor one for
some students.
On the other hand, if several
similar tests show the same
trend, we can have more faith
in the samples and especially if
the same trend continues over a
period of time.
Interest inventories, when CIV
en- to an adolescent, are good eX-
amples of tests which can show
abrupt changes. A very unusual
HAVE Y