Here is another article by Plomin. In the future, polygenic scores may indicate which children are likely to benefit from gifted programs. There will be opposition to public schools using such information, but some parents will.
Our Fortunetelling Genes A new tool for analyzing hundreds of thousands of small genetic differences can predict a range of psychological attributes from birth. It will transform how we see ourselves, our capacities and our problems.
Wall Street Journal
November 16, 2018
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Polygenic scores make these genetic findings more real and personal because they can predict problems and promise for individuals. Polygenic scores for educational attainment not only predict performance in school but also success later in life, such as mate choice, occupational status, social mobility and even financial planning for retirement, as shown by Daniel W. Belsky and colleagues at Duke University in a paper called “The Genetics of Success” that was published in the journal Psychological Science in 2016. The reason for the wider effects of the polygenic score for educational attainment is that it taps into other traits needed to succeed in higher education, not just intelligence but also qualities such as conscientiousness, grit and mental health.
What if you found out that one of your children has a low polygenic score for educational attainment? It’s just a probabilistic prediction—genes are not destiny and heritability describes what is, not what could be—but it might still be hard to accept. It is important that parents are not fatalistic about their children. On the other hand, polygenic scores might help parents understand that a child’s lack of interest in higher education is not necessarily a sign of recalcitrance or laziness. Learning is more difficult and less enjoyable for some children than for others.
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