Executive Functions and Academic Achievement: Where the Rubber Hits the Road
by
Picture a student who aces class discussions but rarely turns in homework on time, or one who understands the material but freezes or acts out when the routine changes. Instead of jumping to conclusions about a student’s ability or motivation level, it’s good to take a step back to see what might be happening behind the scenes, such as an underdevelopment of executive function skills. Executive function skills are the brain’s self-management tools — like planning, organization, time management, and self-control — that help students stay on task and reach goals. When a student needs to deliver academically, executive functions get them started, keep them on track, and help them cross the finish line. By contrast, when students struggle with executive functions, the impact on academics and overall school success can be widespread.
How to Spot When a Student is Struggling with Executive Function
How can you tell if a student is struggling with executive functions? Look for patterns in behavior and work habits. Common signs across grade levels include:
- Chronic disorganization: Their desk, backpack, or digital folder disorganization results in frequently losing track of materials or turning in the wrong work.
- Trouble starting or finishing work: They procrastinate or seem overwhelmed by assignments and often leave work incomplete, despite understanding the content.
- Distractibility: You may notice a student seems easily pulled away from the main task by noises or other stimuli. They may drift off during instructions or ask for directions soon after hearing them.
- Difficulty with transitions: You see that a student seems to find that switching from one activity or class to another is hard. A minor change in schedule (like a surprise assembly) can lead to confusion or negative reactions.
- Impulsive or emotional reactions: The student blurts out answers or acts without thinking and can get disproportionately upset over minor setbacks (a sign of difficulty with self-control). You may also notice the student withdrawing emotionally.
These behavior challenges often change lanes into academic problems: missing assignments, lower test scores, and shaky group work. Even if a student knows the material well, if they struggle with executive functioning, they may have trouble showing their knowledge and skills.They might grasp concepts but falter on tests or projects due to lost homework or last-minute cramming. Constantly struggling to stay on track can cause frustration or anxiety, and small bumps in the road (a forgotten worksheet here, a missed instruction there) accumulate over time into hazardous educational road conditions. Ultimately, the disconnect between knowledge and ability can not only be confusing to the student, their parents, and their teachers, but it can also result in lower grades and decreased confidence.
Supporting Students with Executive Function Needs: The (Assessment) Pit Crew
Once you recognize the signs, what can you do? Get a team together, assess, and make a plan with periodic pit stops (such as Student Support Team or IEP meetings, as applicable). You need data to think clearly and make sure that evidence guides your decision-making. Here are some encouragements:
- Document “length and strength”: Start by noting some specifics to see if you can identify a pattern. How long has this behavior been going on at school? Where or when do you notice it most? How often does this behavior happen – constantly, daily or weekly?
- Document the connections to academic achievement: How exactly is this behavior affecting the student’s ability to learn or make progress in class? There’s a difference between “It’s frustrating to have to repeat assignments” and “Because assignments are missed, even after two repetitions, the student failed 50% of quizzes.”
- Analyze across settings: Repeat the documentation process with parents or caregivers. Are there any differences or similarities at home or in the community, such as music, sports, or other activities? The goal here is to look for patterns between settings as well as unique circumstances that may benefit the student in another context.
- Determine rule-outs or rule-ins: Expand the assessment around the central question, so you don’t miss anything and find strengths or other areas of need across the domains — cognition, language, sensory needs, other behaviors.
- Identify other potential contributing factors: Consider what else might be going on in a student’s life, in the classroom, at home, or elsewhere that might require some attention or accommodation.
As assessment data comes in, you can adjust your speed — accelerating to identify and implement support needed or slowing down to study an area more thoroughly. Because time is finite, the team must balance the time spent between “must have” and “nice to have.” Gather the data, come together and discuss, make decisions, and get back on the road.
Review of Executive Function and Academic Achievement: Many Laps in the Race
Principles of evidence-based practice encourage three converging viewpoints: the evidence/data, professional expertise, and the perspectives of the student and family. Any of these can change over time, and the team should be ready to review and adjust. As in a race where cars are circling lap after lap, students are in school year after year. The team should come together on a regular basis, whether annually or more often, to determine what’s working and what may need to be adjusted.
There's a lot of information out there about basic strategies to support executive function in the classroom: structures and schedules, organizational strategies, modeling, to name a few. Whatever the strategy, don’t forget to measure over time using progress monitoring best practices. The student and the team will benefit from quick but quantitative and qualitative information about how changes are working. Tally marks on a piece of paper are just as powerful as an elaborate digital system or spreadsheet. Do what you need to do to get the data.
Executive functions are the behind-the-scenes drivers of classroom success. When we’re able to recognize a student’s disorganization or distractibility as a skill gap rather than as a character flaw or misbehavior, teachers open the door to effective support. Spotting the signs early and responding with targeted strategies and empathy can help students strengthen their executive function skills, leading to better academic performance and a more confident, independent learner.
Interested in learning more? Let Pearson’s Assessment Consultant team help you discover our assessment tools for executive function, academic achievement, and progress monitoring.