Angela Lee Duckworth has found that grit, or sustained perseverance for long term goals, is the single biggest predictor of future success -- whether you are a West Point cadet, a contestant in the National Spelling Bee, or a student in high school.  According to her, what our kids really need - more than IQ or EQ - is GRIT.   Watch this astounding 6 minute TED Talk .

The trouble is that according to Duckworth, the smartest, most advanced kids are often the ones who have the least grit. They enter each grade already knowing more than half of the planned curriculum, and learn so quickly and effortlessly, that highly capable students rarely even get the opportunity to develop grit. 

Highly capable students need curriculum that challenges them: that provides material at the appropriate level, at a greater depth and complexity, at a faster pace, and to have opportunities to interact with peers who are working at the same level.