How should a teacher respond to parents questioning their child's performance discrepancy between aptitude and achievement tests?

The response that emphasizes the distinction between aptitude and achievement tests is particularly effective because it provides clarity about the purpose and relevance of each type of assessment. Aptitude tests are designed to predict a student's potential or future performance in a specific area, such as reasoning abilities or capacity for learning. In contrast, achievement tests measure what a student has already learned and their current level of knowledge in a subject.

When parents notice a discrepancy between their child's scores on these tests, explaining that aptitude tests indicate potential while achievement tests reflect current knowledge can help them understand that such differences are normal. It also reassures them that a child's performance on one type of test does not necessarily correlate directly with the other; a child may have high potential yet not fully demonstrate that ability in real-world or classroom assessments due to various factors such as motivation, engagement, or even the testing environment itself. This understanding fosters healthy conversations between teachers and parents about how to support the child's learning journey effectively.