Education Policies

Influx of Immigration

Eugenicists believed that immigrants were a major cause of poverty, disease, and societal decay Eugenicists used Gregor Mendel’s idea about genetics and inheritance (simple dominance and simple recessive genes) to explain how traits such as pauperism, mental retardation, and poverty were passed on from generation to generation

Question: How can we prevent immigrants passing on bad genes?

Answer: Make the immigrants seem like lesser beings that we control

Question: How do we convince the public to turn against the immigrants?

Answer: Make them appear mentally inferior

IQ Tests

The first IQ tests were designed by Theodore Simon and Alfred Binet Children were asked to follow commands, copy patterns, name objects, and arrange things properly Children that performed poorly on the test would receive extra help in school The original intentions of the tests were NOT to rank children based on mental ability, but rather identify those who may need extra help

There were two kinds of IQ tests, Alpha and Beta. These tests were used to rank army recruits in order to determine what kind of training they would receive Alpha emphasized verbal abilities Beta emphasized non-verbal abilities The Alpha test usually had a word, followed by four choices of what that word could mean The Beta test, taken only by people who scored poorly on the Alpha test, had pictures of everyday American objects with one thing missing, and the person taking the test had to write down what the picture was missing

1. America was discovered by a. Drake b. Hudson c. Columbus d. Cabot 2. Pinochle is played with a. rackets b. cards c. pins d. dice 3. The most prominent industry of Detroit is a. automobiles b. brewing c. flour d. packing 4. The Wyandotte is a kind of a. horse b. fowl c. cattle d. granite 5. The U.S. School for Army Officers is at a. Annapolis b. West Point c. New Haven d. Ithaca 6. Salsify is a kind of a. snake b. fish c. lizard d. vegetable 7. Coral is obtained from a. mines b. elephants c. oysters d. reefs Example Alpha Test

Example Beta Test

Problems With the Tests

Immigrants were more likely to score poorly on the tests, whether they took the Alpha test or the Beta test Since the immigrants were not native English speakers, they could not identify the words or choices on the Alpha tests Similarly, since the immigrants were not accustomed to American culture, the pictures on the Beta test would be unrecognizable, and determining what was missing would be almost impossible

The results of an IQ test can vary, depending on the person scoring it EXAMPLE: One individual's test was scored by a group of people. Each person graded the test separately. The resulting scores were as low as 63 and as high as 117. Some participants had never taken a test before and did not know they had to write down their answer; some participants could not see or hear the examiner, and some participants had never used a pencil before

Goddard

Goddard applied the results of the IQ tests to children and adults, ranking their mental abilities according to a chart: Normal--mental age = chronological Moron--develop to mental age of yr. old High Grade Imbecile--develop to mental age of 8-12 yr. old Medium Imbecile--develop to mental age of 6-8 yr. old Low Grade Imbecile--develop to mental age of 4-5 yr. old Idiot--develop to mental age of 3 yr. old or younger

The Spread of Eugenics

Eugenicists used a variety of techniques to spread their ideas: Exhibits at state fairs Seminars detailing Eugenics Graphs, statistical charts, pedigrees Articles in scientific journals Organizations Eugenics Record Office American Breeders Association Race Betterment Foundation American Eugenics Society

Repercussions of Today

SATs and ACTs are standardized tests used to indicate intelligence. These tests also influence which colleges are available to the students. Also, these tests are “standards” for testing, which may inhibit the amount of education a student can receive. Anyone not living up to the “standard” is considered less intelligent. Students are placed in classes that can be anywhere from remedial to advanced, based on the tests and grades they have received in previous classes Students who need a slower course curriculum can be placed in a class with others that also need a slower course curriculum. However, the teacher expects those kids to be less intelligent and, therefore, has a lower expectation of them. Students in classes that are the same course but a different level than other students often cannot socialize as well because the curriculums are different and often not parallel

Sources Beta Test. Chart.. Eugenics Archive. Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory. 24 October “Eugenics in America: IQ Testing and Social Policy: Overview.” Facing History and Ourselves 23 October “Intelligence Test.” 23 October Race and Membership in America History: The Eugenics Movement. Ed. Thomas W. Blumenthal, Paul C. Gannon, Scott A. Nathan, and Samuel Plimpton. Brookline, Massachusetts: Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, Inc., Stoskopf, Alan. “Echoes of a forgotten past: Eugenics, testing, and education reform.” The Educational Forum Winter October Stoskopf, Alan. “The Forgotten History of Eugenics.” Rethinking Schools Online. Spring October 2008.