Presentation on one focal study of research supporting alternative methods to assessing college students outside of high-stakes standardized testing.

1. Revaluating Intelligence
and Aptitude for
Admissions and Access
with
Alexander S. Templeton

2. Research Questions
If we only use 10% to 15% of
our brain’s potential, how can
only a few tests measure our
intelligence?
What are the tests measuring
for?
Are there other viable tools of
assessing intelligence?
If so, how can they be useful to
the administration of access to
higher education?

3. Defining Intelligence
Multiple (Gardner, 1983)
Linguistical, Logical Mathematical
Emotional (Goleman, 1998)
Actresses, Actors
Healthy behavior, but relation to success in
college?
Successful (Sternberg, 1985, 1986, 2004,
2005)
“Analytical” – hierarchal, taxonomy,
unchanging context
“Creative” – interpret in changing context
“Practical” – novel, system handling

4. Cultural Intelligence
Includes Creative and Practical Intelligence
Socio-cultural Context: Relation to Environment
India
Tanzania
Africa
Brazil
“Any town” USA
Sternberg (2006):
Some languages don’t even have a single word for intelligence,
(pg. 323)
Intelligence outside of its cultural context is mythological
construct, (pg. 328).
College influence is “inversely related to the cultural distance
between a student’s culture(s) of origin and the cultures of
immersion,” (Kuh and Love, 2000, 204).

5. Standardized Aptitude Test
Usefulness
Quantification
Universal
Commercially Viable Bases Intel.
Limitations On how its
Measured, not
Outdated
Theoretical
Measure skills relevant to On how its Psychology
academic more than practical Constructed.
problems
Count for small portion of
performance criteria
Vicious cycle of theory and applied Weak
psychology Use of Applied
Psychology
Defining intelligence based on the
results of the intelligence test.
Produce gaps among gender and
socially defined racial groups

6. What has been done?
Sternberg’s Rainbow Project
Sternberg’s Triarchic Assessment Test (STAT)
Series of SAT Augmentations from small (300)
to large (8000) samples of students
Tested Successful Intelligence
Results:
Was more predictive then combining GPA and SAT
scores in predicting college GPA
Larger variety of scores across the board
Smaller gap of scores from different racial
backgrounds then regular SAT
Michigan Business Project GMAT
Practical Intelligence

7. Non-Cognitive Measures
Defining Non-Cognitive variables:
Overcoming significant hardship (socio-
cultural context)
Support system (cultural integration)
Sedlacek’s (2003) NCQ (Non-
Cognitive Questionnaire)
Non Cognitive variables
Portfolios
New variables of creativity and identity
intelligence

8. Dynamic Immersion and
Non-cognitive Measures
Deborah Bial’s Dynamic Index
and Posse Foundation
NCQ as BDI Faculty
Dynamic Immersion Process
Harvard to Northeastern
University
Roger B. Clegg, chief counsel to Interviews Student Counseling
Cohort Facilitator
the Washington-based Center for
Equal Opportunity, "the only think
tank devoted exclusively to the
promotion of colorblind equal
NCQ
opportunity." (Pulley, 2000).

9. Impacting Adverse Access
Limitations –
Bial (2006), “no tool has constituted a
measure that can be widely applied” (pg. 26)
Dissent
Larger admissions offices needed (Selingo,
1996)
No convincing public that current tests are
free from corruption, (Rowe, Kenneth and
Hill, 2001).
No altruistic definition, so no true theory, no
true tool, (Sternberg, 2006, 323).

10. Proposals and Suggestions
Augmentations of SAT’s
(NCQ) –
Gates Foundation Millennium Scholarship
Portfolios
Dynamic Immersion Programs
Inside UNLV:
Christine Clark and Suzanne Espinoza
Not changing current cognitive criteria
Refining UNLV’s admissions process to
improve grad rates and demographics for
diversity
Treating a symptom or the problem?

11. Teaching to New
Intelligence
“An Institution can surely admit
students from underrepresented
minority groups, but unless it
teaches them in a way that fits
the way they learn, these well
intentioned admissions decisions
may do little good,” (Sternberg,
2005, 9).

12. Summary
For Students:
Optimize chances for admissions
Fair application process
For the Institution:
Obtain best students possible
For Society:
That cannot afford to waste talent

13. References
Bial, Deborah. Rodriguez, Alba. (2007). Identifying a Diverse Student Body: Selective College
Admissions and Alternative Approaches. New Directions for Student Services. 118, 17-30.
Kamara, Margaret. (2007). Awarding 'Genius' Endeavors Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
11/1/2007, Vol. 24 Issue 19, p13-13, 1/2p, 1c.
Kuh, G.D., & Love, P.G. (2000). A cultural perspective on student departure. In J.M. Braxton
(Ed.) Reworking the student departure puzzle. Nashville: Vanderbuilt University Press.
McMillan, James H. (2008). Educational Research Fundamentals for the Consumer. 5th Edition.
Virginia Commonwealth University. Pearson Education, Inc.
Pulley, John L. (2000) A Program That Believes in Going With the 'Posse.' Chronicle of Higher
Education. 4/28/2000, Vol. 46 Issue 34, pA40, 3p, 1 chart, 2c
Rowe, Kenneth J. and Hill, Peter W. (1996). Assessing, recording and reporting students'
educational Progress: The Case for Subject Profiles. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy &
Practice. Nov. Vol. 3 Issue 3, p309, 44p.
Russell, Diane. (2007). Mission Diversity: New Office Making Studies Toward More Inclusive
Campus. Inside UNLV: News & Information for UNLV Insiders. November, pg. 1, 7.
Sedlacek, W. E. (2003). Alternative admissions and scholarship selection measures in higher
education. Measurement & Evaluation in Counseling & Development, 35(4), 263.
Selingo, Jeffrey; Brainard, Jeffrey. (2001). Call to Eliminate SAT Requirement May Reshape
Debate on Affirmative Action. Chronicle of Higher Education. Vol. 47 Issue 25, pA21, 2p, 2c.
Sternberg, R. J. (2004). Culture and intelligence. American Psychologist, 59(5), 325.
Sternberg, R. J. (2004). Theory-based university admissions testing for a new millennium.
Educational Psychologist.
Sternberg, R. J. (2006). The rainbow project: Enhancing the SAT through assessments of
analytical, practical, and creative skills. Intelligence, 34(4), 321. Taken from
www.sciencedirect.com
Sternberg, R. J., Grigorenko, E. L., & Kidd, K. K. (2005). Intelligence, race, and genetics.
American Psychologist, 60(1), 46.
Sternberg, Robert J. (2005) Accomplishing the Goals of Affirmative Action--with or without
Affirmative Action. Change. 37, 1.