The Practical Utility of Genetic Screening in School Settings

Abstract

Can genetic screening be used to personalize education for students? Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) screen an individual’s DNA for specific variations in their genome, and how said variations relate to specific traits. The variations can then be assigned a corresponding weight, and summed to produce polygenic scores (PGS) for given traits. Though first developed for disease risk1, PGS are now used to predict educational achievement. Using a novel simulation method, this paper examined if PGS could advance screening in schools, a goal of personalized education. Results showed limited potential benefit for using PGS to personalize education for individual students. However, further analysis showed PGS could be effectively used alongside progress monitoring measures to screen for learning disability risk. Altogether, PGS is not useful in personalizing education for every child but has potential utility when used simultaneously with additional screening tools to help determine which children may struggle academically.

Teaching the Teachers the Genetics of Learning: An Application of the Mixed Blessings Model

“…Firstly, recent evidence suggests that polygenic scores may not be better predictors of educational progress than more commonly used indicators of family (dis)advantage (Morris, Davies, & Davey Smith, 2020) or existing assessment tools (Bishop, 2015;Shero et al, 2021). Secondly, individualized education may be costly (Hart, 2016), leading some to suggest that children with genetically derived risk factors should be grouped according to their risk profiles and supposed instructional needs (Byrne et al, 2020;Little, Barroso, & Hart, 2017;Shero et al, 2021). Indeed, Kovas et al (2016) further claim, "Educational neurogenomics … may lead to developments in early diagnostics and identification of individual developmental profiles and will help with selecting the most suitable educational trajectories for all learners" (p. 11).…”

“…Using genetically derived information to contribute to more "personalized" education (Asbury et al, 2017), by optimizing environments that play to students' genetically driven strengths (Schenker & Petrill, 2017), is not guaranteed to result in solely positive outcomes-for children or school systems. Firstly, recent evidence suggests that polygenic scores may not be better predictors of educational progress than more commonly used indicators of family (dis)advantage (Morris, Davies, & Davey Smith, 2020) or existing assessment tools (Bishop, 2015;Shero et al, 2021). Secondly, individualized education may be costly (Hart, 2016), leading some to suggest that children with genetically derived risk factors should be grouped according to their risk profiles and supposed instructional needs (Byrne et al, 2020;Little, Barroso, & Hart, 2017;Shero et al, 2021).…”

Do children think it is important to predict learning and behaviour problems, and do they think genetic screening has a role to play in this?

“…Commercial companies are already using GPSs for screening purposes, albeit prematurely. Some have argued that there is potential for GPSs to be used within education, in conjunction with other assessment tools, to identify risk of learning difficulties (Shero et al, 2021). It seems highly likely that GPSs will become increasingly available, but society is not sufficiently prepared to understand the implications of using them, and to put the necessary safeguards in place (Plomin and von Stumm, 2018).…”

Do Children Think it is Important to Predict Learning and Behaviour Problems, and Do They Think Genetic Screening Has a Role to Play in This?

“…Some researchers have argued that there is potential for GPSs to be used within education, in conjunction with other assessment tools, to identify the probability of needing additional support e.g. as a result of learning difficulties (Asbury & Plomin, 2013;Shero et al 2021) although this remains contentious (Asbury et al, 2021). It seems highly likely that GPSs will become increasingly available, but there are risks associated with this when society is not sufficiently prepared to understand the implications of using them, including their limits, and to put the necessary safeguards in place (Plomin & von Stumm, 2018).…”