Schools as Sorters: Lewis M. Terman, Applied Psychology, and the Intelligence Testing Movement, 1890–1930

Abstract

The rapid adoption of intelligence testing in American schools during the first quarter of the twentieth century was spurred by a combination of forces. University professors of psychology and school administrators promoted tests as a scientific and efficient means of classifying students and providing for individual differences, especially in response to problems such as rising school enrollments, the increasing heterogeneity of student populations, and a drive for greater educational efficiency. While the testing movement coincided with and reinforced the broader quest for social efficiency and eugenics, widespread acceptance of tests was facilitated by a network of organizations and institutions that included philanthropic foundations, publishers, and educational journals. A close examination of three case studies in California—Oakland, San Jose, and Palo Alto—illustrates how the testing movement was not simply imposed upon the schools by psychologists but reflected as well the specific needs and priorities of each school district. – AI-generated abstract