- By Isaac
- Van Wesep
Improving outcomes with executive function interventions: a school district’s experience
This week, I am excited to share my interview with Susan Phelps, the Chief Officer of Neuroeducation for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC). With a background in child clinical psychology and school psychology, Susan plays a key role in the GAIN initiative, which integrates brain science into educational practices to enhance student outcomes.
Introduction
In Susan’s district, screening showed that 70–80% of students struggling in reading, math, and behavior had EF deficits, regardless of grade level. Traditional academic interventions alone weren’t closing the gap. By integrating EF development early—especially in Pre-K and Kindergarten—Evansville is addressing the root causes of poor academic growth and behavior issues.
Interview
Isaac D. Van Wesep: Welcome Dr. Phelps. Thank you for being here. Tell us a little bit about your district.
Susan Phelps: Thank you for having me. I work in the Evansville-Vanderbilt School Corporation (EVSC) in Evansville, Indiana. We’re the third largest school district in the state and have about 22,500 kids across 25 elementary schools (39 schools total). My role is Chief Officer of Neuroeducation. I started in this district in 2010 as a school psychologist. I had been working in Kentucky since 1995 in schools, and also in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. My training is in child clinical psychology.
IDVW: What made you and your district focus on Executive Function as a potential solution?
SP: In 2013, EVSC had already been investigating executive functioning skills when I had an experience with one of our schools: The staff did an amazing job; the kids were all on board; everybody worked as hard as they could. Yet the end-of-year assessment scores hardly moved. There was this sense of hopelessness. Exhaustion. We put our best efforts forward, we used evidence-based practices, and this is where we are? We can’t just ask teachers to “teach harder.” Without strengthening the brain systems that support learning, we’re missing the real opportunity to help students succeed. Executive Function development lays the groundwork for kids to persist, focus, and self-regulate—skills they need not just for academics, but for life.
When we screen early and act early, we aren’t just improving test scores. We’re building the self-regulation, persistence, and focus skills that kids need for the rest of their academic careers—and their lives.
IDVW: Why should school districts prioritize Executive Function (EF) development in early childhood?
SP: Every year a child progresses without strong EF skills—like working memory, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control—the farther they fall behind academically and behaviorally. We’ve found that if you wait until later grades to address these gaps, it’s much harder to close them.
We know real-world education is messy. Perfect control groups are rare. But even so, the patterns are undeniable: when executive function improves, everything else improves.
IDVW: How has investing in Executive Function development changed outcomes in your district?
SP: When we screen early and act early, we aren’t just improving test scores. We’re building the self-regulation, persistence, and focus skills that kids need for the rest of their academic careers—and their lives. Students who build EF skills early are much better positioned for success all the way through middle and high school.
IDVW: What evidence do you have that EF support is driving these outcomes?
SP: We’ve been screening over 1,600 kindergartners each year across all 25 of our schools, and the data is clear: kids with stronger executive function skills perform better academically and behaviorally. Students who participated consistently in in play-based EF intervention programs showed greater growth in reading and math—and we’ve seen fewer behavior incidents in schools where EF support is built into the day.
IDVW: How do you balance scientific rigor with the challenges of real-world school settings?
SP: We know real-world education is messy. Perfect control groups are rare. But even so, the patterns are undeniable: when executive function improves, everything else improves. We’re committed to building a three-year longitudinal dataset, so we can show how EF growth predicts later success. We can’t wait for perfect conditions—we have to act on the best evidence we can gather.
IDVW: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in measuring Executive Function and implementing effective interventions?
SP: Measuring EF used to be incredibly difficult. Tools like the NIH Toolbox gave us good data, but they were expensive, time-consuming, and hard to scale. Before we had a practical way to screen entire kindergarten classes, we were relying on interventions without knowing who really needed them—or how well they were working.
Once we started using a faster, developmentally appropriate tool across our 25 schools, we discovered how widespread these EF challenges really are. But even then, intervention isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some of our highest-poverty schools implemented programs like CogniMoves with fidelity and still saw limited gains. That doesn’t mean the intervention failed—it means those students may need a different dosage or other supports to manage their stress load before EF skills can even take root.
So the challenge isn’t just measurement—it’s interpreting the data, adjusting the support, and making sure implementation is strong and targeted. We’re now refining our model to include algorithms that match the level of EF deficit with the right intensity of support. It’s not easy, but if we get this right, we can give every child what they need to succeed.
IDVW: What’s your message to other district leaders who are deciding where to invest limited resources?
SP: Executive Function is not an “extra.” It’s the foundation under every academic and social-emotional outcome we care about. If we ignore it, we’re trying to build a house without pouring the concrete.
IDVW: Thank you for your insights, Susan! I hope you will come back for another interview next year.
SP: My pleasure, thank you.
