Sentence:  <WSD>Curiosity</WSD> about the power of self-control skills, which include conscientiousness, self-discipline, and perseverance, arose from recent empirical observations that preschool Head Start, an ambitious, federally funded program of special services launched in 1965 to boost the intellectual development of needy children, has failed to achieve the goal of boosting IQ scores. But the programs have unexpectedly succeeded in lowering the former pupils' rates of teen pregnancy, school dropout, delinquency, and work absenteeism. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (uncountable) Inquisitiveness; the tendency to ask and learn about things by asking questions, investigating, or exploring. (from 17th c.)