[whimsicalism]

> This same institution operates America’s highest-performing school system. DoDEA students scored 234 in fourth-grade reading on the 2024 NAEP, outperforming the national average of 214. That’s roughly two grade levels ahead. In eighth-grade math, DoDEA scored 291 versus 272 nationally. When 2024 NAEP results showed national reading scores declining, DoDEA was the only jurisdiction where scores increased.

How again do we know this isn’t entirely due to selection effects?

[thaumasiotes]

The military imposes strict IQ thresholds on those seeking to join.

That's the point of the Armed Forces Qualifying Test.

[duskwuff]

DoDEA teaches the children of military families, not the enlisted themselves.

[lmm]

While it's fashionable to pretend otherwise, the best available evidence is that inheritance is highly heritable.

[zevon]

Correlations between socioeconomic status and success of one's offspring in educational systems don't mean that intelligence is inherited in the genetic sense. If you're seriously arguing this, you're very close to flirting with eugenics and the like.

[Dylan16807]

> If you're seriously arguing this, you're very close to flirting with eugenics and the like.

Please don't be so eager to reject eugenics that you end up being anti-science. The idea that some percent of intelligence is genetic is entirely reasonable, not something to refuse to consider.

And there's good evidence too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_IQ

[zevon]

I did not say nor mean to imply that genetics do not have anything to do with IQ or intelligence. Also, context matters - this is a thread about how to structure educational environments and about certain specifics of the military. Genetics are a factor that is going to be of limited practical use in this domain, at least as far as I can fantasize OTOH.

[tptacek]

What do you think "the heritability of IQ" means? It seems from the thread that you believe it's genetic causation of intelligence. Is that what you're claiming?

[whimsicalism]

you seem to have taught yourself explicitly incorrect intuitions about how the world works, why? the vast majority of people know that kids resemble parents, it seems extreme to believe otherwise.

[nitwit005]

They gave up on the traditional IQ test questions for the most part. The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is mostly a knowledge test now. You can find sample questions online.

There is still a section on spatial reasoning, which is trying to get at a general mental ability.

[thaumasiotes]

You qualify based on the AFQT, which is a composite of four ASVAB subtests.

Specifically, the Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Arithmetic Reasoning, and Mathematics Knowledge subtests.

Sample questions:

    (identify the best synonym for the underlined word)

    His record provides no reason for _apprehension_.
     [ ] anxiety
     [ ] change
     [ ] enjoyment
     [ ] endorsement

    According to the passage, some artists work with titanium because it
     [ ] is transparent.
     [ ] does not corrode.
     [ ] generates its own heat.
     [ ] can assume a variety of colors.

    One in every 9 people in a town votes for party A. All others vote
    for party B. How many people vote for party B in a town of 810?
     [ ] 90
     [ ] 720
     [ ] 801
     [ ] 819

    The ratio 36 : 12 is the same as
     [ ] 2 : 1
     [ ] 3 : 1
     [ ] 4 : 1
     [ ] 5 : 1

You might notice that this is obviously an IQ test. What were you thinking?

(Source of all questions, and the definition of the AFQT: www.officialasvab.com )

[nitwit005]

You'll notice, that is basically your ability to read and do math, which is rather different than the content of a typical IQ test.

People have apparently done research on adding more IQ test sections in: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S22113...

[thaumasiotes]

> that is basically your ability to read and do math, which is rather different than the content of a typical IQ test.

No, it isn't different. Do you know what an IQ test looks like?