Let’s be honest: does the performance of a 13- or 14-year-old freshman really 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 breakdown 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 wasn’t because anyone uncovered a breakthrough in child development. It was about space constraints, construction timelines, and standardized-testing pressures. In short, logistical convenience took priority over what was actually best for kids.
Succinctly stated, the K–5, 6–8, 9–12 school model is outdated and developmentally backward, not based on brain science or student outcomes. I say this not as a policymaker or armchair academic, but as someone who has spent 16+ years working directly with students struggling to manage school transitions — especially in suburban, high-performing districts 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 suddenly expected to manage GPA pressure, social changes, and credit requirements. That’s a recipe for academic, emotional, and developmental setbacks. The research is clear: transitions at all three periods of our kids’ development are hurting them.
Vast empirical studies show that school transitions coincide with dips in performance and engagement — mainly when they occur at the wrong developmental stage.
- A study by Duke University found that 6th graders who moved to middle school faced more behavioral problems and lower achievement than their peers who stayed in elementary school.
- In Arkansas, 9th-grade students attending traditional 9–12 high schools had course failure rates of 25%, compared to just 15% in middle schools configured to end at 9th grade — a 10 percentage-point decrease simply by changing the grade span.
- 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. And get this: up to 70% of students who fail 9th grade do not graduate on time.
These patterns hold even in affluent districts.
In fact, Connecticut’s EdSight database showed that in Greenwich Public Schools, 79.2% of 9th-grade students were “on track for graduation” in 2019. That’s in a district with a 95.9% graduation rate, which means the system’s initial failures are largely offset later through remediation, tutoring, or private support. That’s inefficient and avoidable.
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:
- Girls typically begin puberty between ages 8 and 13; boys, between ages 9 and 14.
- The prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, impulse control, and working memory, doesn’t fully mature until age 25.
- That means 6th graders are developmentally closer to 4th- or 5th-graders than to teenagers. And many 9th graders (particularly boys) are still operating on emotional reflex, not regulation.
In practical terms? These students struggle to:
- Prioritize tasks across multiple teachers.
- Manage a locker, digital calendar, and social pressures all at once.
- Tolerate frustration or bounce back from setbacks without spiraling.
But our systems expect them to perform like adults in training.
A Better Model: K–6, 7–9, 10–12
It’s time to reconsider how we group students.
- K–6: Keep 6th graders in elementary where they get consistency, support, and fewer transitions.
- 7–9: Create a “junior high buffer” — a safe space for early adolescents to grow socially, emotionally, and cognitively before the full weight of high school hits.
- 10–12: Make high school what it already is — a capstone environment focused on credits, GPA, internships, and college prep, but for students who are actually mature enough to handle it.
This model matches the developmental and executive functioning reality. It doesn’t treat 11-year-olds like mini-adults or 14-year-olds like college applicants.
It also reduces the number of high-risk transitions between grade levels, and it gives students more time to develop essential executive function skills before they’re penalized for not having them.
🌎 What This Means for Greenwich
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 even here, 9th grade remains a vulnerable year — not necessarily for graduation rates, but for stress, disengagement, poor executive functioning, and the early cracks that lead to underperformance later on.
And let’s be honest: what does the average 13- or 14-year-old ninth grader really contribute to a transcript that’s worth showcasing on a college application? Very little. It’s unreasonable to pretend that a pre-pubescent brain is producing résumé-level academic distinction beyond an honors class or two.
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. In fact, students can land in AP as 10th graders by excelling in the standard 113 track or by having a parent override a counselor or teacher recommendation.
So why not be proactive? Why not lead the nation in aligning grade spans with child development instead of architectural convenience?
📣 Final Word
If executive function doesn’t mature until the late teens and that 6th and 9th grades are the riskiest pivot points, then keeping the current structure isn’t just outdated — it’s irresponsible.
I’ve worked with over a thousand students, most of whom are high-performing, affluent, articulate young people who, behind closed doors, greatly struggle in 6th or 9th grade. Not because they’re lazy. Not because they’re “not trying.” But because the system expects their brains to be ready for transitions that neuroscience says they’re not.
During a period in Greenwich when schools are being remodeled, it’s time to discuss a revamping of the current system—one that prioritizes student outcomes.
If you’re a superintendent, policymaker, or educator in a high-performing district, ask yourself: Are our grade spans aligned with how kids actually grow and think? If not, it’s time to change.