Thousands of students , like Barbie and Ken, are leaving their homes each morning with brilliance, diversity, and drive. Then they arrive at their stereotypical school , and they quickly begin to tune out.

There is actually science behind why boys like Ken fall behind, many times because they’re treated like “average” GI Joes. They are less likely to finish school and more likely to do unproductive things.

The problem has long been studied by former Harvard professor Todd Rose. There he served as faculty director of the Mind, Brain, and Education program, along with working on many other relevant initiatives. He is the author of The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness.

“It is not that the average is never useful,” Rose says. “Averages have their place.”

But 1.2 million students will drop out this year, and of those, about 4%, or 50,000, are actually gifted.

“The problem,” according to Rose, “is the design. We have one of the most diverse countries in the world, yet we still design education for the average student.”

And according to recent polling by Gallup, K-12 education has sunk to tie the record low in the U.S. for satisfaction. As Rose argues, we blame the teacher, the student, and even the parent. But the design is all wrong.

A one-size-fits-all world that ignores the beautiful differences of students and their interests is bound to fail. But that’s precisely the place where an increasing and critical mass of parents, students, and educators find themselves today.

Maybe if Ken went to a school that matched his interests with the best teaching techniques, he might not just wax boards but rather own a gear and apparel business. But what we do know is that stereotypical schools are failing to provide the education the students need.

An increasing number of education entrepreneurs are setting up precisely those kinds of learning opportunities for students. Last year alone, the Yass Prize discovered hundreds of them competing for its new fund to expand nontraditional, responsive, and relevant education for all students.

But even as the tide changes to accommodate more options for students, most students today will be confined to the stereotypical school. There they may enjoy the comforts of this annual, ancient ritual, but they will fail to receive the education they need to have endless choices for pursuing jobs and careers.

Perhaps the Barbie movie didn’t intend to be a satire on today’s education system, but it was.

The lesson is clear: Barbie, Ken, and their friends, including your children, need new options and opportunities for learning that aren’t so stereotypical. They need the kind of education that produces rocket scientists and nurses, entrepreneurs and managers, developers and artisans, so they can lead successful, satisfying lives in the real world.

Jeanne Allen is the founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform.