Bridging the gap from "finishing tasks" to "becoming who they want to be" for integrated junior and senior high school students: Individual instruction cram school WAYS launches a full-scale project to visualize and foster students' "non-cognitive skills."
Individual instruction cram school WAYS, specializing in students from integrated junior and senior high schools, has launched the "WAYS Non-Cognitive Skills Project" to visualize and cultivate skills like planning and autonomy. Based on a year of data collection from over 3,500 students, the project aims to help students move beyond just improving test scores to mastering "self-propulsion" for long-term goals like university admissions.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 16:04
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (5h 55m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 06:20 (416h 21m after Collected)
WAYS (operated by Mates Inc.), an individual instruction cram school specializing in students from integrated junior and senior high schools, is launching the "WAYS Non-Cognitive Skills Project" in full force. The project aims to visualize and foster "non-cognitive skills," such as planning and autonomy in learning, to make the step up from improving test scores ("finishing tasks") to achieving long-term goals like passing entrance exams for desired schools ("becoming who they want to be") more reliable.
This project began collecting baseline data from over 3,500 students across all 35 classrooms in March 2025. Following a detailed one-year investigation, the school will deploy new instructional approaches based on the accumulated data to strengthen students' "self-propulsion"—the ability to control their own learning.
■ Background of the Project: Moving to the "Next" Stage of Grade Improvement to Realize Our Philosophy
WAYS' educational philosophy is to "foster students who accumulate 'finishing tasks' and move toward 'becoming who they want to be.'" Until now, WAYS has strongly supported the academic improvement of integrated junior and senior high school students through a unique method that completes exercises within a 120-minute instruction session. Achieving better grades is a crucial first step for students to regain confidence that "if I do it, I can do it."
However, when aiming for longer-term and more advanced learning goals such as university entrance exams, students require more than just the ability to work hard in a given environment. They need higher-level self-management skills (non-cognitive skills), such as "creating mid-to-long-term plans by themselves" and "verbalizing what they don't understand to ask questions."
We launched this project to define and cultivate these invisible "non-cognitive skills" so that students who have become able to "finish tasks" in front of them (Phase 1) can smoothly transition into autonomous learners when they wish to "become" their higher-level goals (Phase 2) without stumbling.
■ "Non-Cognitive Skills" Visualization Data Accumulated through One Year of Surveys with over 3,500 Students
WAYS has uniquely set the following eight non-cognitive skills as indicators for students to master true "self-study":
1. Ability to think ahead and proceed according to a plan
2. Ability to decide time and other factors for oneself and execute them
3. Ability to plan for today and finish the tasks
4. Ability to think for oneself and expand learning
5. Ability to keep concentrating without giving in to temptations
6. Ability to do one's best until the end even if it is difficult
7. Ability to convey what one is troubled with to others in an easy-to-understand way
8. Ability to voluntarily ask questions or speak up
Starting in March 2025, we introduced surveys to measure the trends of these non-cognitive skills for over 3,500 students enrolled in all 35 classrooms. The surveys began by understanding the initial state "at the time of enrollment" and were conducted in detail following each test (5 times in total for schools with a three-term system, 4 times for those with a two-term system) to match the diverse curricula of integrated junior and senior high schools.
Through this long-term and high-frequency fixed-point observation over one year, we have tracked the trends in test scores (cognitive skills) and attitudes toward learning (non-cognitive skills), and proceeded with visualization as data.
■ Trends and Combinations of "Non-Cognitive Skills" Revealed by One Year of Data Analysis
Currently, while analyzing the accumulated data of over 3,500 students, interesting trends regarding the learning attitudes of integrated junior and senior high school students are becoming clear. We found that not just individual abilities, but the "combination" of specific abilities influences the power to achieve long-term goals.
[Highlights of Survey Results]
- Trend 1: Development of "Planning Ability" and Inter-item Connectivity
Analysis of score trends (growth width) after enrollment among the 8 non-cognitive skill items confirmed a general tendency for items related to planning, such as "ability to plan for today and finish tasks (daily planning ability)" and "ability to think ahead (long-term planning ability)," to develop relatively easily.
Furthermore, analyzing the correlation between each item revealed that the strongest positive correlation across all student scales was between "ability to decide time and other factors oneself and execute (self-management ability)" and "ability to keep concentrating without giving in to temptations (self-inhibition ability)." The data indicates that non-cognitive skills tend to be exerted in conjunction, not just individually.
- Trend 2: [By Subject] Differences in Non-Cognitive Skills Easily Linked to Grades
Correlations between non-cognitive skills and grades differed in items linked depending on the subject.
In mathematics, a strong positive correlation with "ability to plan for today and finish tasks" was seen in some groups. On the other hand, in English, groups showing positive correlations with "ability to think ahead" and "self-expression ability" were confirmed, suggesting that linked variables may differ depending on the characteristics of the subject.
- Trend 3: Localized Linkage between Non-Cognitive Skill Growth and Grade Correlation
Analyzing grade correlations revealed that when limited to groups where "growth width of non-cognitive skill scores" was high, or groups that had passed a certain period of enrollment or were within six months of enrollment, a positive correlation significantly higher than the overall average was observed locally.
This indicates that the connectivity between non-cognitive skill score increases and grade indicators has the property of strengthening under conditions such as specific learning environments or periods.
In this way, the mechanism of "which abilities influence each other and how" is being elucidated as data.
■ Next Action: The Growth Cycle Toward "Becoming Who They Want to Be" Established by WAYS
WAYS has already established a method for academic improvement called "increasing test scores" through its unique instruction. Therefore, as the next step, based on the above survey results, we will fully start an instructional program that effectively cultivates non-cognitive skills for the next goal for students whose grades have improved.
Even after starting the program, we will continue surveys after every regular test to observe fixed points regarding whether students subjectively feel their own growth, such as "I have acquired the ability to make and execute plans."
The true purpose of this project is to establish a solid growth cycle: ["Finishing tasks" in front of them (grade improvement)] -> [Non-cognitive skills increase (acquisition of self-propulsion)] -> [Proactively moving toward their own "want to be" (entrance to desired school/self-actualization)], rather than just raising scores. WAYS will continue to update its instruction toward the realization of its educational philosophy so that integrated junior and senior high school students can acquire the "ability to pave their own path" that will be useful even in society after graduating from the cram school, without giving up halfway.
■ About WAYS
At "Individual Instruction Cram School WAYS specializing in Integrated Junior and Senior High Schools," professional instructors who teach integrated junior and senior high school students provide tailor-made curricula tailored to each student's purpose, including comprehensive review of past units for grade improvement, regular test preparation, internal advancement preparation such as grades and acquisition of external qualifications, and even basic solidification to last-minute measures for university entrance exams.
We also conduct free learning consultations and trial instructions for children attending integrated junior and senior high schools and their guardians, so if you are a guardian worried about the studies of your child attending such a school, please feel free to consult with us.
This project began collecting baseline data from over 3,500 students across all 35 classrooms in March 2025. Following a detailed one-year investigation, the school will deploy new instructional approaches based on the accumulated data to strengthen students' "self-propulsion"—the ability to control their own learning.
■ Background of the Project: Moving to the "Next" Stage of Grade Improvement to Realize Our Philosophy
WAYS' educational philosophy is to "foster students who accumulate 'finishing tasks' and move toward 'becoming who they want to be.'" Until now, WAYS has strongly supported the academic improvement of integrated junior and senior high school students through a unique method that completes exercises within a 120-minute instruction session. Achieving better grades is a crucial first step for students to regain confidence that "if I do it, I can do it."
However, when aiming for longer-term and more advanced learning goals such as university entrance exams, students require more than just the ability to work hard in a given environment. They need higher-level self-management skills (non-cognitive skills), such as "creating mid-to-long-term plans by themselves" and "verbalizing what they don't understand to ask questions."
We launched this project to define and cultivate these invisible "non-cognitive skills" so that students who have become able to "finish tasks" in front of them (Phase 1) can smoothly transition into autonomous learners when they wish to "become" their higher-level goals (Phase 2) without stumbling.
■ "Non-Cognitive Skills" Visualization Data Accumulated through One Year of Surveys with over 3,500 Students
WAYS has uniquely set the following eight non-cognitive skills as indicators for students to master true "self-study":
1. Ability to think ahead and proceed according to a plan
2. Ability to decide time and other factors for oneself and execute them
3. Ability to plan for today and finish the tasks
4. Ability to think for oneself and expand learning
5. Ability to keep concentrating without giving in to temptations
6. Ability to do one's best until the end even if it is difficult
7. Ability to convey what one is troubled with to others in an easy-to-understand way
8. Ability to voluntarily ask questions or speak up
Starting in March 2025, we introduced surveys to measure the trends of these non-cognitive skills for over 3,500 students enrolled in all 35 classrooms. The surveys began by understanding the initial state "at the time of enrollment" and were conducted in detail following each test (5 times in total for schools with a three-term system, 4 times for those with a two-term system) to match the diverse curricula of integrated junior and senior high schools.
Through this long-term and high-frequency fixed-point observation over one year, we have tracked the trends in test scores (cognitive skills) and attitudes toward learning (non-cognitive skills), and proceeded with visualization as data.
■ Trends and Combinations of "Non-Cognitive Skills" Revealed by One Year of Data Analysis
Currently, while analyzing the accumulated data of over 3,500 students, interesting trends regarding the learning attitudes of integrated junior and senior high school students are becoming clear. We found that not just individual abilities, but the "combination" of specific abilities influences the power to achieve long-term goals.
[Highlights of Survey Results]
- Trend 1: Development of "Planning Ability" and Inter-item Connectivity
Analysis of score trends (growth width) after enrollment among the 8 non-cognitive skill items confirmed a general tendency for items related to planning, such as "ability to plan for today and finish tasks (daily planning ability)" and "ability to think ahead (long-term planning ability)," to develop relatively easily.
Furthermore, analyzing the correlation between each item revealed that the strongest positive correlation across all student scales was between "ability to decide time and other factors oneself and execute (self-management ability)" and "ability to keep concentrating without giving in to temptations (self-inhibition ability)." The data indicates that non-cognitive skills tend to be exerted in conjunction, not just individually.
- Trend 2: [By Subject] Differences in Non-Cognitive Skills Easily Linked to Grades
Correlations between non-cognitive skills and grades differed in items linked depending on the subject.
In mathematics, a strong positive correlation with "ability to plan for today and finish tasks" was seen in some groups. On the other hand, in English, groups showing positive correlations with "ability to think ahead" and "self-expression ability" were confirmed, suggesting that linked variables may differ depending on the characteristics of the subject.
- Trend 3: Localized Linkage between Non-Cognitive Skill Growth and Grade Correlation
Analyzing grade correlations revealed that when limited to groups where "growth width of non-cognitive skill scores" was high, or groups that had passed a certain period of enrollment or were within six months of enrollment, a positive correlation significantly higher than the overall average was observed locally.
This indicates that the connectivity between non-cognitive skill score increases and grade indicators has the property of strengthening under conditions such as specific learning environments or periods.
In this way, the mechanism of "which abilities influence each other and how" is being elucidated as data.
■ Next Action: The Growth Cycle Toward "Becoming Who They Want to Be" Established by WAYS
WAYS has already established a method for academic improvement called "increasing test scores" through its unique instruction. Therefore, as the next step, based on the above survey results, we will fully start an instructional program that effectively cultivates non-cognitive skills for the next goal for students whose grades have improved.
Even after starting the program, we will continue surveys after every regular test to observe fixed points regarding whether students subjectively feel their own growth, such as "I have acquired the ability to make and execute plans."
The true purpose of this project is to establish a solid growth cycle: ["Finishing tasks" in front of them (grade improvement)] -> [Non-cognitive skills increase (acquisition of self-propulsion)] -> [Proactively moving toward their own "want to be" (entrance to desired school/self-actualization)], rather than just raising scores. WAYS will continue to update its instruction toward the realization of its educational philosophy so that integrated junior and senior high school students can acquire the "ability to pave their own path" that will be useful even in society after graduating from the cram school, without giving up halfway.
■ About WAYS
At "Individual Instruction Cram School WAYS specializing in Integrated Junior and Senior High Schools," professional instructors who teach integrated junior and senior high school students provide tailor-made curricula tailored to each student's purpose, including comprehensive review of past units for grade improvement, regular test preparation, internal advancement preparation such as grades and acquisition of external qualifications, and even basic solidification to last-minute measures for university entrance exams.
We also conduct free learning consultations and trial instructions for children attending integrated junior and senior high schools and their guardians, so if you are a guardian worried about the studies of your child attending such a school, please feel free to consult with us.