Prediction of School Performance in Developing Countries

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Abstract
A comparison is made between two different kinds of predictors of school performance: previous school records and intelligence tests. It is shown that both predictors have their weaknesses, from a theoretical/psychometric as well as from a practical/ethical point of view. It is further demonstrated that a number of objections are particularly pertinent in developing countries. In this respect, special attention is paid to the negative effect on educational objectives and discrimination of less advantaged subgroups in the population. It is argued that, generally, school records may suffer more from these weaknesses than certain psychological tests, provided that the latter have been constructed carefully and have been adapted to the particular population. In the summary, therefore, an optimal "division of tasks" between school records and psychological tests is recommended.

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