Did your child do well in elementary school but suddenly struggle in high school? They are not alone. Many students who had managed fairly well throughout elementary school see their grades drop and their motivation fade as soon as they transition to high school. But why?
What if failure isn’t due to a lack of intelligence or overly difficult material, but rather to a drastic change in learning conditions?
An Underestimated Transition
In elementary school, the days are structured and routines are predictable. Students spend most of their time in the same classroom with one main teacher. Their books stay in their desk and the demands in terms of organization and planning are minimal. In this reassuring environment, executive function challenges such as planning, organizing, and time management are significantly reduced.
But in high school, everything changes.
Students must navigate a complex schedule, move from one classroom to another, manage a locker, and adapt to the expectations of several different teachers, each with their own approach. Their cognitive load suddenly increases at a time when their brains aren’t yet fully ready to meet such demands.
The Developing Brain
In 1995, researcher Laurence Steinberg showed that the part of the brain responsible for executive function, the abilities that help us plan, organize, and make decisions, only begins developing around age 12 and reaches full maturity at about age 24.
It’s no surprise, then, that so many students struggle in a system that demands cognitive autonomy from the very beginning of high school well before they are biologically prepared for it.
The Centennial Approach: Lowering Barriers, Not Expectations
At Centennial Academy, we chose to meet this challenge in an innovative way. Rather than modifying the academic program, which can limit students’ future options, we have chosen to reduce the executive functioning barriers while maintaining the regular curriculum.
This means a clear and stable routine, consistent expectations across teachers, concrete tools to help students stay organized, and a structured environment that calms rather than overwhelms.
And the results speak for themselves. Learning improves. Confidence returns. Students start to believe in their ability to succeed again.
A Different Path Is Possible
If your child is at risk of repeating the year, why not explore another approach?
Come visit Centennial Academy and discover how a structured, supportive, and brain-aware environment can make all the difference.
Because every student deserves a real chance to succeed.