In a recent interview with child and adolescent development expert Ellen Galinsky, we discussed why developing executive functioning in our youngest learners is the “secret sauce” to lifelong success. To see how these theories translate into the classroom, I spoke with Michelle Miller, Superintendent of the South Fayette Township School District, about how her district is operationalizing this mindset.
South Fayette is currently one of 10 pilot sites testing a new curriculum focused on executive functioning, developed in partnership with Galinsky and the School Superintendent Association (AASA).
Miller, an educator with nearly 30 years of experience, notes that while these foundational skills have always been important, these became vital following the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the younger grades, Miller observed a visible gap in regulation skills.
“Kids missed a year or two of critical social development,” Miller says. When schools returned to in-person learning, she and her colleagues found students who were capable of memorizing facts but struggled to navigate social friction or manage their own cognitive loads.
By prioritizing executive functioning—the mental processes that allow us to plan, focus, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks—students (and adults) can better manage emotional well-being and academic rigor. As the global workforce shifts its demand toward adaptability and self-regulation, these are no longer soft skills but the tools students need to navigate the futures they choose.
The Case for Early Intervention
Miller agrees with Galinsky that the foundation for these skills must be laid long before high school. While elementary environments naturally embrace the whole child, Miller notes a common disconnect as students move up the academic ladder.
“If we wait to start talking about these skills in high school, we’ve missed nine years of schooling and opportunities,” Miller explains.
Valuing executive functioning is one thing; operationalizing it within a complex school system is another. Miller suggests districts move away from the traditional “Portrait of a Graduate” toward a “Portrait of a Learner.” This subtle shift ensures that goals such as collaboration, communication, and grit apply to a kindergartner just as much as a senior.
Here are three ways South Fayette Township School District brings their “Portrait of a Learner” to life:
1. Building a Common Vocabulary
Systemic change begins with linguistics. Miller’s district uses a shared vocabulary to create a culture that supports their strategic plan.
“Our plan is rooted in being ‘future-focused,’” Miller says. “We are always looking at what our students need to be successful beyond our walls. Strong executive functioning aligns perfectly with the attributes companies look for in their employees.”
The district’s focus centers on two key pillars:
- Student-Centered: Keeping the “whole child” at the center to ensure well-being in all areas of life.
- Innovation-Driven & Embracing Failure: “As an innovative district, we want to be a model for failure,” Miller says. “When we fail, we fail fast and fail forward. We celebrate failure here. That’s a tough thing to instill in families used to measuring success by traditional grades, but it’s essential for the growth of our students’ executive functioning skills.”
2. Creating Space: “Flex” and “WIN” Time
Executive functioning requires the ability to self-assess and prioritize. To foster this, Miller builds intentional time into the school day:
- WIN Time (What I Need): At the elementary level, this allows students to work through academic struggles before any trigger paralyzing anxiety.
- Flex Periods: In high school, these periods allow students to choose their focus—whether visiting a math lab, collaborating on a project, or taking “down time” to regulate.
3. The HEART Curriculum
The district is planning a course titled HEART (Health, Emotion, Awareness, Relationships, and Tech Safety). It addresses the physiological roots of executive functioning—such as nutrition and sleep—alongside emotional regulation.
Miller shares an example of helping a student reframe anxiety before a football game: “I told him, ‘Getting butterflies is okay. That stress is just a chemical reaction to doing something important to you.’ We need kids to identify that being nervous doesn’t have to be paralyzing.”
Advice for District Leaders
For leaders looking to implement similar shifts, Miller offers a roadmap rooted in intentionality:
- Start With Why: Ground initiatives in brain research. When stakeholders question the shift away from traditional metrics, cite the science: regulation and attention are prerequisites for learning.
- Focus On Specificity: You cannot be everything to everyone. “If we focus on one skill, such as dysregulation at the elementary level, I bet we’ll see attention, social interaction, and persistence increase,” Miller says. Pick one or two skills to start; these will serve as a foundation for all other cognitive growth.
- Support Educators: South Fayette uses tools such as TeachFX, an app that gives teachers real-time feedback on high-leverage instructional practices such “teacher talk time” versus “student talk time.” When teachers reflect on their own engagement practices, they are better equipped to mentor students in theirs.
“Executive functioning skills are not soft skills anymore,” Miller emphasizes. “They are essential skills.”