1. Brain Imaging and Education John Gabrieli Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences & Martinos Imaging Center at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT

2. High-Stakes Statewide Standardized Tests Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System MCAS – Math & ELA

3. Cognitive Skills Crystallized Skills acquired knowledge (vocabulary & arithmetic) focus of schools & state testing Fluid Skills speed of processing working memory abstract reasoning

4. Processing Speed

5. Working Memory count span (Conway, Bunting, Hambrick, Wilhelm & Engle, 2005) Your job is to count the BLUE CIRCLES in each display. Ignore red circles and blue triangles. From each of 3 successive displays, remember the number of BLUE CIRCLES in each display, and report those 3 numbers after the third display. For example, display 1 = 1 BLUE CIRCLE (keep “1” in mind) display 2 = 2 BLUE CIRCLES (keep “1” and “2” in mind) display 3 = 3 BLUE CIRCLES (keep “1” and “2” and “3” in mind report, “1, 2, 3”

6. Working Memory

9. Answer?

10. Working Memory Answer? 674

11. Fluid Reasoning 1 2 3 4 5 6

12. Research Study 1,367 8 th graders - 47% male, 77% free-lunch eligible - 41% African- American, 36% Hispanic, 12% White 32 middle schools - traditional, exam, 5 oversubscribed charter (of 8) MCAS scores (Math & ELA), fluid cognitive measures Finn et al., Psychological Science, 2014

13. Higher Fluid Skills Are Associated With Higher MCAS Scores Fluid SkillMCAS MathMCAS ELA Processing Speed.46.38 Working Memory.27.18 Fluid Reasoning.53.40 all p <.001

14. Higher Fluid Skills Are Associated With Higher Gains in MCAS Scores Fluid SkillMCAS MathMCAS ELA Processing Speed.29.21 Working Memory.12.04 Fluid Reasoning.32.19 4 th -8 th grade gains p <.001 except Working Memory and MCAS ELA

15. MCAS Test Scores Finn et al., Psychological Science, 2014

16. Schools Vary In Raising Test Scores student growth percentile

17. Finn et al., Psychological Science, 2014 Schools Influence Test Gains, But Not Fluid Cognitive Skills

18. From Correlation to Causation: Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) lottery for 5 oversubscribed charter schools 143 winners, 53 losers (quasi-experimental analysis)

19. Schools Influence Test Gains, But Not Fluid Cognitive Skills Finn et al., Psychological Science, 2014

20. Working Memory, Brain, & MCAS diverse sample of 53 8 th graders N-Back test of working memory capacity

21. N-Back Performance

22. Greater Activation in Prefrontal & Parietal Neocortices with Greater Working Memory Demand left hemisphereright hemisphere

23. Greater Working Memory Activation Associated With Higher MCAS Math Test Scores left hemisphereright hemisphere

24. Cortical Thickness Analysis

25. Cortical Thickness Correlates with Standardized Test Scores

26. Schools, Test Scores, & Fluid Cognitive Skills some schools can raise test scores gains in crystallized cognitive skills such test scores correlate with future gains on SAT, AP, and life outcomes like educational attainment & income (Angrist et al., 2013; Ritchie & Bates, 2013) gains achieved without commensurate gains in fluid cognitive skills (does that matter?)

27. Decline of Fluid Skills and Preservation of Crystallized Skills across the Life Span FLUID CRYSTALLIZED Park et al., 2002, Psychology and Aging

28. College Persistence 1,589 12 th graders in PA and MA –51% male –56% free-lunch eligible –34% African- American, 13% Hispanic, 31% White

29. College Persistence Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP charter schools; www.kipp.org

30. College Persistence (non-cognitive) cognitive

31. Collaborators & Support Schools & Cognitive Skills Amy Finn Chris Gabrieli Martin West Mathew Kraft Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation