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In April of 1991, I was 10 years old, and I had only one thing on my mind:

Adolphe Quetlet be damned!

Designing For The Average

Adolphe Quetelet was a 19th-century astronomer, mathematician, sociologist, and statistician—and, in my third-grade mind, a secret sadist. In 1835, he introduced the concept of “the average man,” a hypothetical standard of normalcy based on the average value of human characteristics, including height, weight, age, intelligence, and even moral character. Quetelet’s application of the bell curve to the social sciences cannot be understated. While it no doubt led to significant breakthroughs in medicine, behavioral sciences, and even your Facebook feed, it also introduced a quantifiable definition of intelligence, and with it came standardized testing.

Quetelet’s “average man” became the driving force in education. We standardized curricula, approaches, and measurements to meet the “average” need. And we continue to judge student performance against the “average.” In traditional education, the goal is not to identify and invest in what students can do but to drive their deficiencies toward the average.

Designing For The Difference

Because of Quetelet, in third grade, I was initiated into the world of poor academic performance via the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), where my deviation from the average was in stark display. Like most people with learning differences or otherwise, my performance was a jagged profile of strengths and struggles. Instead of thinking of my education as a mountain range to traverse, my potential was measured by a dart board, with the average covering its bullseye.

At Landmark School, we don’t strive for the average. We know that a global, interconnected, tech-infused world does not produce average problems. Employers are not looking to recruit average performers. At Landmark School, we design for the difference because it is the difference that matters.

Learn more about how Landmark designs for the difference in the Lantern, Spring/Summer 2024 Issue, (pg. 10).

About the Author

Josh Clark is the Head of Landmark School and Chair of the International Dyslexia Association. Before joining Landmark School, Josh had already begun to make a name for himself as a champion of struggling learners. He was the head of two other schools that empowered struggling dyslexic learners. He is also an expert contributor to the global nonprofit Made by Dyslexia and Microsoft Education. As a brilliant dyslexic himself, Josh is a life-long learner and problem-solver. Learn more about Josh.