SUPERINTENDENT’S CHAT
Richard J.
McClements,
We attribute success or failure to four causes: our belief in our basic ability, the difficulty of the task we are facing, luck, and effort. Of these four causes, the only one that we can ever control with any certainty is the amount of effort that we are willing to put forth. Research has shown that far too many students put forth less effort as they transition from elementary school to secondary.
The U.S. Office of Education reports that 40% of the students in the top 5% of their high school classes do not graduate from college. Studies find that between 10% and 20% of all high school dropouts are in the superior range of abilities. Dr. Sylvia Rimm, author of Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades, suggests that there are two primary reasons why students underachieve: (1) they have a mixed connection between effort and outcome – they are not willing to put forth the effort that it takes to achieve, and (2) they do not function well in competition.*
For many high school students, it is “cool” to appear to be so smart that one has to put forth very little effort to achieve. In many school districts, students take Advanced Placement courses only to refuse to take the exit exam for which they could earn college credit. It is, admittedly, a most difficult exam. Many take the course simply because of the associated status. The competition issue makes sense if you think of the local “king of the hill.” It is one thing to be considered the king at Shonto; it may be altogether different when that king finds himself at Harvard along with many other highly skilled and maybe sharper kings. Instead of then buckling down and working harder (more effort) in the face of this competition, many youngsters simply give up.
What are some symptoms of underachievement? Dr. Rimm poses the following simple survey:
1. Does the child forget to do his homework?
2. Does the child give up easily?
3. Does the child avoid competition unless he is sure to win?
4. Does the child start his homework late each evening?
5. Does the child watch two or more hours of television each evening?
If parents can answer two or more in the affirmative, then your child is probably underachieving. I would strongly recommend that parents read Dr. Rimm’s book. It is filled with meaningful interventions. I hope that our staff members communicate regularly with parents whose children we believe may not be working up to their potential.
*
Rimm, Sylvia. (1995) Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades and What You
can Do About It.