Demographically Corrected Norms A Case Illustration of an Unmet Need in High-Stakes Testing Among Native Americans

Since the United States Supreme Court ruling in 2002 on the Atkins v. Virginia case, which determined that executing an individual with mental retardation violates the Eighth Amendment, the potential motivation to malinger mental retardation by individuals charged in potential death penalty cases has emerged. The following case illustrates some of the challenges that emerge in such an evaluation, with particular attention on the impact of inequitable standardization for demographically adjusted norms.