The problem isn't limited to the high school students in Palo Alto. The 'Stanford Duck Syndrome' (calm outward appearances/above water, flailing violently out of sight/under water) is a relatively well publicized issue. So much so that Stanford has official pages dedicated to the problem. <a href="http://web.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/cgi-bin/academicskillscoaching/why-does-the-duck-stop-here/" rel="nofollow">http://web.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/cgi-bin/academicskillscoach...</a>