There's a common pattern where in low-performing schools, the kids test above average at the lower levels and then fall off a cliff. This is exactly why: young

There's a common pattern where in low-performing schools, the kids test above average at the lower levels and then fall off a cliff. This is exactly why: young kids (K-2) are great at memorizing. But if the only skill they learn is memorizing, their ability to extend this as they progress fails. It was startling how much the kids I encountered when I taught math (to high school kids and to college kids who were essentially taking junior high/high school math classes) still relied on memorization and pattern matching. I did what I could to break them of the habits but there's only so much you can do, especially in the post-secondary context where you get 45 hours of instruction time (less time for exams) in the course of a semester.