By Aron Boxer, M.Ed. S.P.E, Executive Functioning Coach, CEO & Founder, Diversified Education Services
Let’s be honest: does the performance of a 13- or 14-year-old freshman deserve to shape a student’s college prospects? Of course not. Yet our current grade-span system allows ninth-grade performance to drag (or boost potentially) the Common App, and it’s time Greenwich Public Schools reconsidered a structure that gives outsized weight to a child’s earliest, least developed year of high school. And college admissions aren’t the only concern. The entire K–12 model needs a hard reset, especially as the district undergoes major infrastructure upgrades, starting with what I know best: executive functioning.
First, we have to look at the history. Why did Greenwich, and so many other districts across the country, restructure their grade spans in the late 1980s, moving sixth grade into middle school and ninth grade into high school? It was about space constraints, construction timelines, and standardized-testing pressures.
The K–5, 6–8, 9–12 school model is outdated, not based on brain science or student outcomes. I say this as someone who has spent 16+ years working directly with students struggling to manage school transitions, especially in a high-performing district like Greenwich.
We place 6th graders in middle school while their executive functioning is still at an elementary level. We thrust 9th graders into high school, where they are expected to manage GPA pressure, social changes, and credit requirements.
Vast empirical studies show that school transitions coincide with dips in performance and engagement, mainly when they occur at the wrong developmental stage.
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A study by Duke University found that 6th graders in middle school faced more behavioral problems and lower achievement than their peers in elementary school.
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In Arkansas, 9th-grade students attending traditional 9–12 high schools had course failure rates of 25%, compared to 15% in middle schools configured to end at 9th grade.
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The University of Chicago Consortium found that students on track at the end of 9th grade are 3.5 times more likely to graduate than those who are off track. Meanwhile, up to 70% of students who fail 9th grade do not graduate on time.
Connecticut’s EdSight database showed that in Greenwich Public Schools, 79.2% of 9th-grade students were “on track for graduation” in 2019.
Executive Function: The Missing Link
As an executive function coach, I don’t just see grades; I see the cognitive load breaking down.
Looking at the biology:
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Girls typically begin puberty between ages 8 and 13; boys, between ages 9 and 14.
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The prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, impulse control, and working memory, doesn’t fully mature until age 25.
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That means 6th graders are developmentally closer to 4th- or 5th-graders than to teenagers. And many 9th graders are still operating on emotional reflex, not regulation.
In practical terms? They struggle to:
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Prioritize tasks across multiple teachers.
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Manage a locker, calendar, and social pressures all at once.
A Better Model: K–6, 7–9, 10–12
It’s time to reconsider how we group students.
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K–6: Keep 6th graders in elementary where they get consistency, support, and fewer transitions.
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7–9: Create a “junior high buffer”, a safe space for adolescents to grow socially, emotionally, and cognitively before the full weight of high school hits.
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10–12: Make high school a capstone environment focused on credits, GPA, internships, and college prep.
It also reduces high-risk transitions and gives students more time to develop essential executive function skills.
Greenwich is often ranked among the best districts in the country; however, academic excellence doesn’t mean the system is optimized.
The data shows that 9th grade remains a vulnerable year, for stress, disengagement, and poor executive functioning.
Honestly, what does the average 13- or 14-year-old ninth grader really contribute to a transcript worth showcasing on a college application? Very little.
At GHS, most freshmen aren’t loading up on honors anyway. They typically take one or two, usually in math or science, because the 113A track doesn’t carry honors weight. In English and Global History, 113A is simply a stepping stone for students aiming to reach AP U.S. History and AP Language as sophomores.
So, why not be proactive? Why not lead the nation in aligning grade spans with child development instead of architectural convenience?
If executive function doesn’t mature until the late teens and 6th and 9th grades are the riskiest pivot points, then keeping the current structure is outdated and irresponsible.
During a period in Greenwich when schools are being remodeled, it’s time to discuss revamping the system to prioritize student outcomes.
If you’re Superintendent Toni Jones, a BOE member, or a GPS educator, ask yourself: Are our grade spans aligned with how kids actually grow and think? If not, it’s time to change.