Left Behind 1 Running Head: WHAT NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND LEAVES BEHIND What No Child Left Behind Leaves Behind: The Roles of IQ and Self-Control in Predicting

The increasing prominence of standardized achievement tests in educational policy and practice motivated the current investigation. We propose a model in which report card grades differentially assess certain competencies (e.g., completion of homework and long-term assignments and positive classroom behavior) determined more by self-control than by intelligence, whereas standardized achievement tests are more sensitive to other competencies (e.g., capacity to solve novel problems in unfamiliar formats; independent acquisition of skills and knowledge outside of school) determined more by intelligence than by self-control. In three longitudinal, prospective studies of middle school students, self-control was a stronger predictor of changes in report card grades than was IQ. In contrast, IQ was a stronger predictor than self-control of changes in standardized achievement test scores. In a fourth study, a survey of teachers ’ grading practices provided further support for the proposed model. Implications for pedagogy and public policy are discussed