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Is there a different attitude towards prepping for sports versus intellect and why?
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Anonymous
21:11. I never said it was immoral. I said it rendered the test invalid, in the psychological sense that the test no longer measures what it was designed to measure.
Seriously, before reading this forum I had NO idea that parents did any sort of prep for the WPPSI other than calling and making an appointment. Color me naive. |
Anonymous
When does learning begin and end for a child? From you first statement one might assume that learning does not begin until after one takes the WPPSI exam "without preparation"? Or a 7-year-old in Kenya that walks, skips and runs 3 miles to and fro to school up in the hills will innately (= he was born with this on day 1) have a superior maximal oxygen consumption (on an exercise tolerance test) to the another D.C. area 7-year-old that is chauffered to and from Beauvoir Elementary School in a BMW. If roles were reversed, and the D.C. area 7-year-old began educational life in Kenya, predictably, so too, would the maximal oxygen consumption on arterial blood gas analysis. The point here is mental or physical/physiological conditioning (your day to day activities and preparation--reading, riting, rithmetic vs skipping and running 3 miles per day X 3 years to go to school) will affect the measurement (WPPSI score or "blood-oxygen test"). |
Anonymous
Probably depends on who you ask, and how pointed you are in your practice of exam content. Perhaps a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether or not you'd willingly and thoroughly disclose to the tester (or the school) what you did to prepare -- I doubt anyone would hesitate to disclose that she practiced thoroughly for the SAT (or for an athletic contest), but I suspect many would not want to disclose that they'd thoroughly practiced for the WPPSI. Why the difference in attitude? Because most people recognize that you're not supposed to prep for the WPPSI or other capability tests.
The answer probably depends on the parent. I suspect the huge majority of people do not have either an actual copy of the WPPSI or a facsimile. I know we did not have anything like that for our kids. However, it appears that some people on DCUM see no problem with purchasing such prep tools. I guess that's their choice, but I think it's cheating. |
Anonymous
Fair enough -- no two kids are ever starting from the exact same spot. I don't know what the "solution" is for such disparities. But I don't think the solution is to permit some relatively small (and wealthy) subset to buy test-prep materials so that their kids have an even greater advantage. |
Anonymous
Well, I was a little surprised myself. Which is why I posed the original post. After reading the board and the intensity and obsession with: 1) How do I get DC into private school? 2) Which school? 3) What is the Big 3 (with a different triplet for every response)? 4) How much money does one need to give in order to guarantee admission to a private ... to a Big 3? 5) What preparation do I need for a playdate? 6) What year should I apply in -- pre-K, K, or later? 7) Public school bathrooms reek and stink. Thank god I was saved by private education 8) Who are the best educational consultants to stir my 3-year-old into Big 3? 9) Which WPSSI tester do you recommend ... code for we are aiming for 99.9 percentile like 90% of you all? 10) How do I answer the questions on the applications? 11) How do I respond to teh financ ial aid inquiry? (Code for should I lie ) 12) What is the WPPSI cut off for all the D.C. area private schools? .....why would parents do any sort of prep for the WPPSI other than calling and making an appointment. What's the motivation? |
Anonymous
Why not? Do you think that "buying test-prep materials" is the only way to prepare your children for WPSSI?I Is buying test-prep materials = to the "actual" test? What about "test prep" materials that are not the "actual test? (e.g., parent's mentorship and intellect, pen, paper, piano, puzzles, blocks, books, numbers, computer games and assorted other software, etc, etc, etc,)? What crosses the cheating or immoral line in the sands? Do you think that not "buying the actual WPSSI test" is simply a convenient cover/rationalization for those who prepare their children in other ways but know damn well it doesn't take a high school diplomate to develop a mock WPSSI exam without having to buy the "actual exam"? The fact many children in the D.C. area (if we are to believe the polling) score at 99.9 percentile without "buying the actual test" should provide some comfort? |
Anonymous
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Isn't it interesting and amusing, you will hardly find debate or argument over preparing the body for sport (gymnastics, figure skating, ice hockey, field hockey, swimming, lacrosse, tennis, golf, crew, football, baseball, basketball, track)?
Or similarly for music (e.g., piano, violin) ...even singing? But once one crosses the blood-brain barrier into the realm of the mind, intellect, academics and mental performance there is much hem and haw over a similar preparation strategy...or folk retreat to the closet. |
Anonymous
Yes, I do think there are other ways to prepare besides buy test-prep materials. Buying test-prep materials is just the most obvious. There is no reason a motivated parent could no research the WPPSI thoroughly, and essentially construct her own test-prep materials from items found in the house. I'd consider that cheating too, because it subverts the goal of the test, which is to try to test innate ability (as well as that can be tested given the obvious differences that will always exist between different children).
No, I don't think that's simply a rationalization. I think that if you intentionally prepare your child for the test by researching the test content and then practicing the skills, then you're subverting the test. It doesn't matter whether you do that with store-bought materials or something you constructed in your basement. Your next question might be whether normal parenting activities (such as reading to your child each night or teaching the alphabet or playing with blocks) are not essentially "prep" for the WPPSI, since some of those skills might aid a child on the WPPSI. I think that is just a straw argument. No one would suggest kids should not receive those experiences from parents. However, when you intentionally direct those activities toward prep for specific WPPSI tasks, then I think you're crossing the line. If you don't think you're crossing a line, then ask yourself whether you'd feel comfortable describing your prep work to the WPPSI tester. I'm not sure I understand your last question about many children scoring 99.9 percentile providing comfort. If you want me to respond to that, you'll need to explain it to me. |
Anonymous
How would you define "thoroughly practiced for the WPPSI"? I suspect it might vary from family to family? Actual exam Purchased materials Played with puzzles and blocks Played with pen and pencil -- learned grip, letters, writing Learned phonics --reads Used piano lessons to develop fine motor skills Played with numbers Played lots of strategy, problem solving games etc What might constitute prep for some may be all in a normal day's routine for years? Short of not having the "actual" test how will you define this? What is the WPSSI tester's definition of preparation -- outside of a copy of the actual test? What would constitute a violation or cheating in the eyes of WPPSI testers (exclude having a copy or purchasing the actual WPSSI exercises)? Is it temporally related? In other words, no mental or physical activities that in anyway may resemble the interaction between tester and child .. 1 day, 1 week, 1 year before the child is scheduled to take the WPSSI exam? Is shopping for a WPPSI tester cheating? |
Anonymous
I agree there are few bright-line rules of what is (or is not) cheating. You and I seem to agree that trying to create a specific list of what people can and cannot do would be impossible. But can we both also agree that just because drawing lines is difficult, that doesn't mean there should be no bounds at all? I suspect most would agree that buying the actual exam and practicing it crosses the line. For most of the other items you list, it depends a lot on what you're doing and maybe why you're doing it. That's why I suggested the self-check of asking yourself whether you'd disclose exactly what you did (and perhaps why you did it?) to the tester and the school. If the disclosure would make you uncomfortable, you probably are crossing the line (or getting too close for comfort). |
Anonymous
If asked by a WPPSI tester if my children are prepared for their interview or test I would say yes they are well prepared. I would have no hesitation whatsoever in describing all my children's family activities at home whether physical, intellectual, at play working with their hands and eyes. I suspect that most of these activities will contain specific WPPSI tasks since the family interests bridge our professional lives. Thus, extensive fun games with computers, science experiments and building/construction/engineering (working with hands and eyes) to name a few are predominant. I suspect for many households these activites are part of a daily routine besides the normal reading, writing, numbers and music. If the WPPSI tester asked me who prepared my children I would defer to the family, school and his outside activities. We did not buy any test material (advertised or not) however you wish to define them? All their activities were intentionally directed for life's preparation. If WPSSI falls under that category than the answer is then a resounding yes. I would not feel uncomfortable in the least describing the kids normal daily activities and routines whether they could contain specific WPPSI tasks or not. Our household activities are not driven by the exclusive filter of what falls in the realm of WPSSI tasks. With regards crossing the line? I don't know what line you are referring to or what this means? But, the kids are superbly well prepared for the WPPSI test ... yesterday or tommorrow. If this is not the most thorough preparation for the WPPSI or any other exam for a 5 and 8 year-old ... then the earth is not round. |
Anonymous
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Does the private school admission testing business in the D.C. area (and NY, LA, Boston, Chicago) and parental driven obsession to get into the private school en route to the Ivy create a huge conflict of interest for WPSSI psychologist testers?
Does this conflict of interest prevent true bilateral transparency of the testing process? (In other words, frank disclosure about preparation of the test child versus the skewing of the Bell shaped curve where there may by too many kids testing at 99.9 percentille ... and not the 1 in a 1000 ratio predicted by the normal distribution? |
Anonymous
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These psycholgists are Gods and we worship them and dare not get on their wrong side.
Is there such a thing a malpractice for psychologists (educational testing arena) ... or just parental malpractise... akin to "crossing the line"? |
Anonymous
| The conflicts of interests may not only include WPSSI educational testers, but to the designers (holders of the patent and intellectual property) and the private schools requiring this instrument for admission. Indeed, some WPPSI testers in the D.C. area (some recommended on the private school web sites) work for the private schools in other consultation type capacities. |
Anonymous
I am certain some here would view these activities with children as definite cheating (in context of WPSSI test) and therefore immoral because some of these activities clearly and certainly train and prepare the child for many WPSSI tasks and sub tasks. I am certain others will claim that given the context, profession and socio-economic status these activities are not cheating or immoral because they are natural and typify the interests and activities in such households despite the huge collateral benefit of comprehensive exposure to WPSSI tasks and sub tasks. The activities are ongoing whether or not there are plans for any WPPSI testing. If a family from rural West Virginia or immigrant peasant family from Afghanistan in their enlightenment adopted some of these activities in their household for their children 3 years ahead of the private school application date with ambitions of the American dream (Big 3 and Ivy) some will claim (and tester) this family has crossed the line and are cheaters since this may constitute WPPSI preparation for private school (not the farm). Yet others (testers included) would not condemn the latter to purgatory because of the simple accident of birth and see nothing immoral for patterning the success of their neighbors across the tracks. My solution. In light of the poor predictive value of WPPSI; throw away the tool as a key determinant of D.C. area private school admission for 3-7 year-olds or make the "actual" test accessible and available to all applicants. Neither solution would affect the high quality of children admitted to these schools. But, as in health care reform America style, stakeholders (like the insurance and pharmaceutical industries in health care for example) would have a difficult time swiftly putting this aptitude, acheivement, IQ or "whatever you want to call it test" for 3 to 7 year-old out to pasture. |