YCIS Chongqing has introduced a formal Executive Functions curriculum this school year. Students in Years 5, 7 and 9 will complete a full course via once-a-week lessons delivered by our Student Support Department. The course we are using is one designed by the RUSH Neurological Institute. This course is based on extensive research into the impact Executive Functions has on student learning, success and well-being.

Students in other year levels will receive targeted units of instruction from the course designed to align with the activities and coursework in their classrooms.

Executive Functions refers to the cognitive processes occurring in the frontal lobe of the brain that oversee higher-order competencies such as:

• Planning and organization
• Evaluating choices and decision making
• Goal setting and achievement
• Focus and self-regulation (self-control)
• Problem solving and dynamic response

Research has clearly indicated that students who receive specific training in Executive Functions and actively develop this skill-set:
• Achieve better scores on tests, assignments and complete more accurate homework
• Post higher grade point averages (GPA)
• Watch less TV/Consume less social media
• Have fewer absences from school
• Gain acceptance into more selective high-schools and universities
• Score higher on external assessments (SAT, ACT, IGCSE, IB, etc)
• Start working on long-term assignments earlier in the project timeline
• Complete their homework earlier in the day
• Report a higher level of happiness and satisfaction in school

YCIS Chongqing recognizes the importance healthy Executive Functions can have on the whole-person well-being of our students. In addition to higher-academic achievement, we place great value on the importance these skills will have throughout the lives of our students and the impact it will have on their level of satisfaction in life.

Taking the lead on empowering our students with the skills to make better choices, achieve greater success and feel higher levels of contentment through the delivery of Executive Functions instruction is something we are quite proud of in YCIS Chongqing. Our Student Support Coordinator recently presented on this curriculum to the YCEF Foundation – our sister schools will soon be adopting this into their curriculums as well.