09/14/2025

For this week’s class reflection I am going to talk about a documentary we were assigned to watch. Most Likely to Succeed, directed by Greg Whiteley in 2015, follows two ninth grade classes and their teachers at High Tech High in San Diego, California. During the time of filming, the students are preparing to showcase their projects at an exhibition used for assessment, rather than standardized testing. Throughout the film, the modern day education system is questioned for its purpose and its origin of being. Still following an outdated model, the education system’s design is to mass produce compliant workers through the practices of memorization and standardized testing. Is that truly what today’s youth need in order to succeed? To practice skills needed to be factory workers? Is there a world shortage of factory workers?

Most Likely to Succeed was created to challenge the system of education that we still use today, but have lost the need for. The film also suggests a different approach to education which is meant to train children to be innovative, creative, and critical thinkers. At High Tech High, the use of inquiry and project-based work is embraced in the spirit of giving children room to grow in skills which can be applied to real world problems. Problem solving skills, teamwork, resilience, creativity, and individualism are all variables which are emphasized by this new style of education, where students are encouraged to learn through trial and error. Instead of exams and all other forms of one-size-fits all, this approach embraces individual discovery as a measure for assessment. 

Even though this film was made ten years ago, the model that it campaigns for has still not been widely utilized. Why that is, I have few theories. The amount of change that this film asks to make in the education system may very well be extremely beneficial long term, but would take a tremendous amount of time, work, and resources to bring into play short term. The system of education that is still broadly used today, flawed as it is, would need to be gutted and torn to make room for a new system to be set in its place. There are also some cons that go alongside the pros of this posed self-directed model. With freedom comes a number of implications. If all students were given more freedom and autonomy in their education to explore and discover, there would be much less system-wide apathy in the students. The concerns of this freedom are real, however. If instead of standardized testing, each student was assessed on their personal journey, growth, and productions, how could there be enough teachers with enough time to accurately assess them?  What would be the measure of success for each student in their learning process? If students are given freedom in what they explore, how can their educators be sure that their students are exposed to enough subject-wide content? How are parents supposed to be able to remain aware of their child’s development if not given standardized grades?

This film was fascinating and eye opening to see. Although I have more questions than answers, I am very interested in the idea of project and inquiry based learning over standardized lessons and tests. I wonder how I could implement these concepts into my future classrooms to enrich my future students’ education?

Here is a like to Most Likely to Succeed:

Here is a like to Most Likely to Succeed:

https://webapp.library.uvic.ca/videos/viewlinks.php?vfn=Most-Likely-To-Succeed-(2015).mp4