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 My findings highlight the biology behind successful institutions. From the first two articles, I can conclude that maybe standardized tests are not the ideal way to measure intelligence or level of achievement later on. Standardized testing, such as the SAT or IQ tests, are too simple and only test for a very small range of skills. Instead of trying to quantify intelligent or achievement (traits that are hard to quantify), it would be better to have more qualitative tests – such as real world application. Also, other more ‘unconscious’ factors may play into success – such as the time of day of classes. Some students function optimally in the morning, while others function optimally later on, thus students should either try to schedule classes when they are ‘functioning optimally’ or maybe some sort of rotating schedule should be implemented, giving students the opportunity to experience their classes at two different times. These articles raise the question of the biology and the ideal environment for learning. Maybe doing more research about what the ideal environment to learn in is, and what the ideal ‘measure’ of success or achievement would be. Also,  more scientific research on the biology behind the success of a rotating schedule would be helpful!

Kaufman, Scott B. "Confessions of a Late Bloomer." Psychology Today. 26 Oct. 2008. Web. 15 Nov. 2009.  

 <http://www.psychologytoday.com/print/21061>.

This article discusses the biology behind early vs. late ‘bloomers’. It states that one of the most key parts of success is ability – which as some basis in the brain and in genes. However, simply because it is somewhat ‘hardwired into the brain’ does not mean that everyone develops their ability at the same time – ability can take time to develop. “Genes don’t act all at once but can take years to unfold”; many valuable abilities in society, such as creativity and leadership, rarely fully appear early on because they are complex abilities that are comprised of many different traits (and the ‘alignment of many different genes’). Not only that but the environment a person is in will also largely impact how ability will be expressed. Obstacles and ‘brick-walls’ have helped people succeed because it gave them the passion to (which is possibly the most important part). Many of the most successful people today were late bloomers – such as Chris Gardner, founder and CEO of Gardner Rich & Co. Thus, you cannot write someone off so quickly – teachers, parents, and “experts” cannot determine limits to what someone can achieve; everyone should be treated as if they have the potential to reach full bloom.

Kingsbury, Alex. "The Measure Of Learning." USA News & World Report. 3 Apr. 2007. Web. 15 Nov.

 2009. <http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070304/12college.htm>.

This article is about what qualifies a university or college as successful or to be ‘one of the best’. It discusses how US colleges are slowly falling behind their international counterparts because although every college ‘tries to help it’s student’s reach their full potential’ many colleges don’t know what full potential is, or how to tell whether their student’s have achieved it or not. While some argue that the best way to test this is to administer different types of standardized exams to graduating seniors as a means of measuring what exactly they have learned in their 4 years at college, other argue that this method tries to quantify what is ‘unquantifiable’ because standardized testing is too simplistic to determine what learning takes place. Some alternatives are portfolios, or different types of ‘real world application’ projects. Also, many demand that universities release more information about their students post-graduation (not just entering freshman.

Otto, Bob. "Brian Wood, San Gorgonio Principal, honored by Middle School Association." The Sun. Los

Angeles News Paper Group, 2 Dec. 2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. <http://blogs.sbsun.com/yucaipanow/2008/12/brian-wood-san-gorgonio-princi.html>.

            This article is about the benefits of a rotating schedule. This Middle School implemented a rotating schedule – meaning that on some days students had classes A, B and C in the morning, and classes D, E, and F in the afternoon, and then on other days they had classes D, E, and F in the morning and A, B, and C in the afternoon. With a rotating schedule, teachers get to see their students at different times, meaning that if a student isn’t functioning optimally in the morning, he or she can still ‘function optimally’ in that class because he or she will also have that class in the afternoon.  In this specific school, after the rotating schedule was implemented, the school’s Academic Performance Index (API) rose by 33 points, indicating a benefit in a rotating schedule.