Today’s rapidly changing world requires that students graduate and enter their lives as adults with mindsets, habits and competencies that include and extend well beyond traditional knowledge and skills. Students must be challenged as learners, thinkers and doers. Schools must evolve into places where all students have access to learning experiences that allow them to achieve these broader goals.
Research consistently shows that when students are held to high expectations and given the support they need to meet those expectations, they achieve more, are more engaged and are ultimately better equipped for college, career and life. The key lies in creating intellectually challenging learning opportunities that push students to think critically, solve problems collaboratively and apply knowledge in real-world contexts. And yet, a recent Walton Family Foundation Survey found that less than half of students say their schoolwork positively challenges them.
At Getting Smart, we believe that every learner deserves to be intellectually challenged through learning experiences and high expectations that foster resilience, develop creativity and drive a sense of purpose. “Challenging” learning is one of six Getting Smart design principles—accessible, personalized, purposeful, joyful, authentic, and challenging—that create transformative and powerful learning experiences for all students.
Definition
“Challenging learning experiences” are opportunities both inside and outside the traditional school day that push students beyond their comfort zones, encourage them to tackle complex problems and help them to develop critical thinking skills. These experiences stretch students’ capabilities and promote progress toward mastery through effort and perseverance. Teachers help students to foster a mindset that embraces challenge as an opportunity for both personal and academic growth—and must hold and support all students to reach the same high expectations. Challenging learning experiences prepare students for the complexities of the real world and mirror the kinds of challenges students will face as they become increasingly more independent and enter adult life and the workforce.
Evidence
“For years, the teenage brain was seen by researchers, policymakers and the public as more of a burden than an asset…That narrative is beginning to change. There is growing recognition that what was previously seen as immaturity is actually a cognitive, behavioral and neurological flexibility that allows teens to explore and adapt to their shifting inner and outer worlds.” [Learn more in the APA article: What neuroscience tells us about the teenage brain]
Teenage brains are uniquely primed for learning, thanks to a heightened state of neuroplasticity during adolescence. This period of intense brain development means that teenagers are highly responsive to new and complex learning experiences since the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for critical thinking, decision-making and self-regulation, undergoes significant growth and restructuring during these years.
Over the last decade, neuroscientists like Laurence Steinberg have expanded the education field’s awareness of adolescent brain development and emphasized why it matters. Research shows that intellectually demanding tasks stimulate the prefrontal cortex and promote the formation of robust neural connections, enhancing both cognitive abilities and emotional regulation in the middle school and high school years.
This body of work, referred to collectively as the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD), calls for a fundamental transformation so that schools better engage adolescents with the challenging and novel learning experiences they need to optimize learning in their unique developmental window. Schools must become places where rigorous and meaningful learning experiences are the norm rather than the exception and available to all rather than a small percentage or select few.
New approaches to teaching and learning, such as design thinking, inquiry-based learning and project-based learning (PBL), challenge students through more valuable, student-driven approaches. For example, schools implementing design thinking—a method of tackling complex problems through empathy and iteration—report improved student outcomes and higher levels of student creativity and innovation. The benefits of inquiry-based learning include improved student engagement, better student outcomes and higher graduation rates. Similar research on PBL shows that when students are tasked with solving authentic problems or engaging in project-based learning, they are more likely to retain and apply information effectively in various contexts. The role of teachers shifts dramatically and retains crucial importance in these new approaches as they shift from direct instruction to crafting authentic challenges that meet all students where they are and get all students where they need to be.
Decades of research confirm that high expectations are critical for student success, dating back to the first research on “the Pygmalion Effect” in the 1960s. In recent years, researchers like Carolyn Dweck, David Yeager and Angela Duckworth have made phrases like “growth mindset” and “grit” household terms. Their research on learning from the perspective of adolescent brain development and social-emotional development further illuminates the importance of having high expectations, believing all students can achieve them and then supporting them as they persist through difficulties to achieve success.
Research has also shown that education equity is linked to high expectations for all students. Students from low-income families and students of color are often held to lower academic standards and given access to fewer challenging learning opportunities. However, achievement gaps are reduced when schools expand these opportunities and support teachers in holding all students to these high expectations. For example, The Education Trust found that challenging content and holding high expectations for all students, regardless of background, leads to improved academic performance across all demographics.
Examples
Here are some inspiring examples of schools and programs that create challenging learning experiences for all students:
Several school networks in the United States emphasize project-based and inquiry-based learning, focusing on student-driven exploration and real-world problem-solving. High Tech High in San Diego is known for its rigorous, hands-on projects across all subjects. New Tech Network operates nationwide, using technology to facilitate collaborative, inquiry-based learning. Big Picture Learning emphasizes personalized, interest-driven projects and internships that connect academics to student passions. EL Education partners with schools to implement exploration-based curricula, often through interdisciplinary projects. Summit Public Schools combine inquiry-based methods with personalized projects to prepare students for college and careers, making these networks leaders in student-centered education.
Lucas Education Research provides detailed case studies and examples of schools implementing project-based learning (PBL). PBLWorks offers resources, including maps of schools engaged in PBL, for educators and families interested in exploring these models.
The 74 Million curates a list of innovative high school stories and offers many examples of schools that challenge students and prioritize equity. Many of these overlap with the schools highlighted on our Schools Worth Visiting page. Examples include:
Cardozo High School in Washington D.C. Public Schools, where students explore entrepreneurship and financial literacy through working with local non-profits and organizations. These real-world challenges support recently-arrived immigrant students and students of color from low-income families to become the next generation of business owners and entrepreneurs.
Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) in Kansas, where students work daily with professionals in one of six industries including food science, engineering and business/technology. Students rise to the challenge of having more freedom and autonomy than students in most traditional schools, balanced with support to experiment and learn from adults and professionals.
Philadelphia’s Building21, where intellectual risk-taking is the norm, and students have regular access to experts to push and expand their thinking.
Recommendations
To create challenging learning experiences that are accessible to all students, consider these strategies:
Adopt and Expand New Approaches to Teaching and Learning: Implement project-based learning (PBL), inquiry-based learning and design thinking to create engaging, real-world challenges for students. These approaches not only promote critical thinking but also align with the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) research on adolescent brain development. Design projects and learning opportunities that require students to address real-world issues, challenge students intellectually and make learning more relevant and valuable.
Leverage the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD): This lively and developing field of research offers new insights every day. By understanding the principles of how their students’ brains develop and learn, educators can employ teaching practices that students are consistently engaged in tasks that challenge their cognitive abilities and promote long-term retention and skill development.
Create Opportunities for Authentic, Real-World Learning: Collaborate with local businesses, non-profits and community organizations to provide students with hands-on experiences that connect academic content to real-world contexts. Programs like CAPS in Kansas or partnerships seen at Cardozo High School can serve as models for these efforts.
Rethink Assessment: Focus on tracking and reporting mastery of competencies rather than traditional letter grades so students can measure their progress, reflect on their strengths and track their growth.
Foster an Innovation Mindset: Cultivate a school culture that values experimentation and learning from failure.
Set and Maintain High Expectations for All: Establish a school-wide culture of high expectations, supported by evidence from decades of research. Training and resources should be provided to ensure teachers believe in and support every student’s potential.
Focus on Equity in Academic Opportunities: Address disparities in academic rigor by ensuring that all students, especially those from underserved backgrounds, have access to challenging and meaningful learning experiences. Schools should actively work to close achievement gaps through equitable access to advanced courses and intellectually stimulating programs.
Support Teachers: Invest in professional development and cultivate peer networks for teachers shifting their roles. Teachers will need training and ongoing support.
The research is clear: every student deserves to be intellectually challenged, and high expectations are essential to unlocking their potential. By adopting student-centered approaches to teaching and learning that intellectually challenge students and acknowledging the science of how young people learn, schools can create environments where every student is equipped to meet the complex challenges of our modern world.
If these principles resonate with you as fundamental to student success, we’d love to hear your perspective. Reach out to mason@gettingsmart.com to share your thoughts and join the conversation on making learning meaningful and challenging for every student.
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