"When schools or psychologists identify some kids as gifted, they're implicitly identifying a whole lot more kids as not-gifted. This artificial distinction can do a lot of damage, both for those who are identified as gifted and for those who miss the cutoff. A child who misses the cutoff for the gifted label may be just as capable as another child who's made the cut. Some kids are better test-takers and enjoy performing well on the kinds of problems that IQ tests provide."
"A high score on a test of intelligence is a narrow and highly controversial method for identifying giftedness, and has the additional disadvantage of having no clear or direct connection to educational needs. There are so many ways to be gifted that aren't assessed by IQ tests, including creativity, social/emotional strengths, and problem-solving abilities. There are other tests that purport to assess these other abilities, but none of them are very reliable."
"Some kids are better test-takers and enjoy performing well on the kinds of problems that IQ tests provide. Other children are slower and more careful in their responses, or do better in real-world contexts. Some kids, meanwhile, haven't yet had the learning opportunities required for high scores. Still others have learning disabilities or other challenges that interfere with their ability to do well in a test-taking situation."
Labeling some children as gifted produces an implicit not-gifted group and can harm both labeled and unlabeled students. Test cutoffs can miss capable children because test-taking ability, timing, prior opportunity, health, and disabilities affect scores. IQ tests measure a narrow slice of ability and often fail to capture creativity, social-emotional strengths, or real-world problem solving. Gifted labels sometimes yield a better educational fit but can also increase pressure, fear of failure, and misaligned expectations. Many alternative assessments lack reliability. Each child follows a unique developmental pathway that static categories cannot fully capture.
Read at Psychology Today
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