In schools, ‘not reaching academic potential’ is a phrase you hear a lot when a student is underperforming in subjects. However, outside of this field, it is probably never used.
What is Academic Potential?
It’s the highest level that could be achieved if a student utilised all of their ability. It’s the brain’s capacity to achieve, also known as cognitive ability. It’s the capacity to reason and apply rules, i.e. to use logical, rational, and analytic thought.
How do we define and identify Academic Potential? (Cognitive Ability)
We use standardised tests to measure cognitive ability and potential in education. These tests determine what a student is capable of achieving. This is not always the same as their performance in school.
When testing academic potential, we generally look at ability in the following areas:
Verbal Reasoning – the ability to express ideas and reason through words. This is essential to subjects with high language content, e.g. English and History.
Non-verbal Reasoning – problem-solving using pictures and diagrams. These skills are essential in a wide range of school subjects, including Maths and Science.
Spatial Reasoning – the capacity to think and draw conclusions in three dimensions. This is required for many STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects.
Quantitative Reasoning – the ability to use numerical skills to solve problems. This is required for Science, Maths, Economics etc.
If we suspect that a child has a learning difficulty, the person assessing (usually an Educational Psychologist) would also include the following for a more in-depth analysis of cognitive ability and potential:
Working Memory- ‘the management, manipulation and transformation of information from short and long term memory to complete a task. E.g. remembering travel directions and arriving at your destination.
Crystallised Intelligence– the knowledge acquired in everyday life either through education or experience. Think general knowledge that we learn from everyday interactions.
Processing speed– the time it takes a person to do a mental task. It is related to the rate at which a person can understand and react to the information they receive, whether it be visual (letters and numbers), auditory (language), or movement.
Visual–spatial intelligence– a person’s ability to perceive, analyse and understand visual information in the world around them.
Auditory processing– what happens when your brain recognises and interprets the sounds around you.
To know if your child is currently meeting their potential, you should contact the school to establish what assessments they use to establish cognitive capacity. Many schools use CAT 4 testing or similar.
Why do we need to know about Academic Potential?
This is the starting point for parents-if you are aware and understand your child’s academic potential; you will know what they are capable of achieving. This is a crucial piece of information that parents often don’t possess. They must be equipped with this data to know if their child is underachieving in school.
Questions to ask yourself
Is my child achieving at a level equal to their cognitive ability, or is there a gap that requires further analysis? Before planning support for your child, you must have all of this relevant information at hand.
What to do if there is a gap between your child’s potential and what they are currently achieving in school.
If there is a gap between the student’s ability and their attainment, it is usually a sign that the student will require some support to get them to the level of achievement they are capable of. This might mean that they will come under the charge of the school’s learning support or special needs department.
At this point, schools or parents should employ a specialist, namely an educational psychologist or another suitably qualified person to determine why the student is not achieving and offer solutions to support the student to progress and reach their potential.
To support the student to reach their potential in examinations, they may be entitled to what is known as ‘exam concessions’, ‘alternative accommodations’ or ‘inclusive arrangements’. (All these terms have the same meaning but different countries and exam boards use various labels). This support ensures that the student is not being held back from achieving what we know they are capable of. We wouldn’t deny a student their diabetes medication at exam times, would we, so why deny a student with dyslexia the use of a word processor? It’s all about ensuring a level playing field so that no one is disadvantaged through no fault of their own.
What circumstances might hold a student back from reaching their academic potential?
- A special educational need/learning difficulty.
- Stress/Illness (including mental health issues)
- Emotional wellbeing,e.g. identity, attachment issues, being adopted, lack of confidence, poor self-image or self-esteem.
- Home environment issues, e.g. a recent divorce, living between 2 sets of parents, parents with addiction issues.
- Lack of appropriate educational resources– poorly resourced school
- Peer pressure- friends who don’t value education
This list is not exhaustive.
For any of the above, the school or local authority should be able to offer parents advice and support for their child to overcome these barriers. Schools should implement a support plan that must be regularly monitored and reviewed, and parents should be invited to become active participants in this process.