Why Aren’t Very Bright Students Always Successful?

Aden A. Burka and Catherine U. Burka, in their Independent School article (Winter 2011) “Fresh Ideas About School Success”, note that neuroscience has some answers about students and school success. We all know that some of the brightest students and those who score at the top of standardized tests aren’t the ones who do best in school or in their careers. The difference in whether a child is successful or not often depends upon what neuroscience called executive functions or skills. These skills include being: goal directed, self-monitored, organized, and adaptive and flexible. Students who have these skills may not always have the natural ability that other students have, but they are industrious and able to follow through to their goals. According to the authors, “Recent research comparing self-discipline to IQ in predicting high school achievement shows the former to be the clear winner. “ To help children acquire these executive skills, parents should: set rules and boundaries for their children, impose firm and consistent discipline, team with teachers to reinforce executive skills, let their children face the consequences of “executive misdeeds”, and acknowledge their children’s success. Students who learn to use technologies as their assistant in learning are putting their executive skills into action. If they are able to organize, edit, and complete their work on their computers or digital devices, they will not only be using 21^th Century skills but also executive skills.  Therefore, if using technology in this way is added to coursework and is part of teacher expectations, teachers will be helping all students toward school success.