Measuring Formal Intelligence in the Informal Learner: A Case Study of Hmong American Students and Cognitive Assessment

The purpose of this study was to illustrate the impracticality of using mainstream formalized methods of intellectual assessments to assess Hmong American children, who came from an informal learning environment. One hundred and fifty-four Hmong American students, ages 5-18, and 51 Caucasian students, ages 5-14, were assessed using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children – Second Edition (KABC-II), along with 46 Hmong American students, ages 7-14, who were assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Results showed that Hmong American students scored one standard deviation below the national mean on both the KABC-II and the WISC-V. These low scores were observed from samples of kindergarteners, kindergarten through 3rd grade, and students in the upper-level grades compared to a sample of Caucasian students from the same area. Some implications and future research directions are discussed.