What is it?

Academic Tenacity is a mindset where students work hard, and work smart for a long time.

They look beyond short term concerns to longer-term, higher order goals.

Withstand challenges and persevere toward these goals.

Academic Tenacity

69% of dropouts said school did not motivate or inspire them to work hard.

Many students that graduate say the same thing.

Most focus on curriculum and pedagogy.

Add the psychological factors.

Beliefs about themselvesFeelings about schoolHabits of self-control

Belong academically and sociallySee school as relevant to their futureWork hard and can postpone immediate

pleasuresNot derailed by intellectual or social

difficultiesSeek out challengesRemain engaged over the long haul

Student’s belief about academic ability

Fixed mindsetGrowth mindset

Praise for student achievement

AbilityEffort

Goal FocusPerformance goals focus on

abilityLearning goals focus on growth

Cooperative – motivated by sense of responsibility

Individualistic – may self-handicap

Why do good in schoolLong-term purpose for

learningBecome something they

valueAchievable

Students’ feelings of social belonging in school

Quality relationships with peers and teacher

Rise above distractions and temptations of the moment

Perseverance and passion for long-term goals

Interventions can be brief but produce long term results

They can trigger changes in the way students perceive their ongoing academic success

Works best when accompanied with curriculum or pedagogy

Not one size fits all, need to be customized

Teaching students that intelligence can be developed (a growth mindset)

Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck (2007) Urban, low-income, African American and Latino 7th grade students, higher math grades

Good, Aronson, & Inzlicht (2003) African American and Latino middle school students at a rural school , higher state test scores for all in reading and for girls in math

Aronson, Fried, & Good (2002) African American and white college students , higher GPA; greater valuing and enjoyment of academics

Helping students to feel that they belong or are valued in school

Walton & Cohen, (2007) African American college students, higher GPA

Cohen et al. (2006; 2009) African American and white middle school students, higher grades among African American students in the targeted class

Helping students to see how the curriculum is relevant to their own lives

Hulleman & Harackiewcz (2009) White, African American, Latino, and Asian high school students higher grades in the targeted class among students with low initial expectations of success

Helping students to set goals, identify obstacles, and learn self-control strategies

Oyserman, Bybee, & Terry (2006) African American and Latino middle school students, higher grades; fewer absences; fewer disciplinary referrals

Brigman & Webb (2007) Students in grades 5–9 who scored below 50th percentile on state math test, higher state test scores in reading and math

Minority public school students in NYC 7th

grade Grades declining, mainly in math Six-session workshop focusing on study skills

and how the brain grows new connections. Students showed an increase in math scores

2.52

2.45

2.37

2.54

2.6

2.68

2.2

2.25

2.3

2.35

2.4

2.45

2.5

2.55

2.6

2.65

2.7

2.75

Pre-Int Post-Int

Control

Mindset

Teachers were unaware of the intervention being used and saw significant changes in students behavior

Students put more effort into homeworkStudents requested extra help to understand

concepts being taughtGrades improved in all subjects for students

20 schools in NYC completed online version of growth mindset intervention called “Brainology”

All schools reported an increase in tenacity “I concentrate better on tests as well as

homework. I have also been very responsible, and I know I can do what I put my mind to.”

“I used to give up easily and now I keep on trying.”

“Now, my attitude towards the subjects that I have trouble in [is] I try harder to study and master the skills that I have problems in.”

Students staying engaged, achieving goals, feeling included and respected by others in school is their sense of social belonging.

Building students sense of social belonging in school can lift them out of everyday worries.

One study helping African American students transitioning to college.

Older students wrote essays to younger students describing their adjustment experience to college.

Most students in the study expressed appreciation and learned great things.

“I’ve gained more reassurance that everyone has their doubts…but manage to overcome them.”

“Information from senior students makes my struggle to transition seem more normal and I felt less isolated.”

Grades increased

Middle school students rank personal values in terms of importance.

Wrote for 15 minutes why values that they chose were important to them.

Control group wrote why their low ranked value might be important to someone else.

Students improved grades by 20%.

Students need to have the personal understanding as to way school is relevant to themselves, their lives, and their society.

When students are told what they are learning will impact not only their life but the lives of those around them.

Studies show that the work longer and harder at learning the content.

They processed the lesson more deeply and retained information for a longer period of time.

Intervention to encourage students to see relevance of science in their lives.

Once a month students were asked to write a brief essay describing how the material that they were learning applied to their lives.

Results were those students in the study had more interest in taking more science classes and earned better grades compared to students not in the study.

In the study a gain in grades was only seen when the student came up with the reason why the schoolwork was relevant.

“Future self”Study included 8th graders, inner city schools 10 session workshop which had them

describe what kind of adult they would like to be like and the obstacle that they might face and how to over come those obstacles.

Results were less absences, less discipline problems, and higher grades.

0.95

2.51

1.64

0.89

1.571.36

9th grade norentention

Hours spent onhomework per week

Average 9th gradeGPA

Future Self

Study Control

Student Success Skills Program Focused on 5th-9th graders that scored below 50th

percentile on state tests. Taught students how to set goals, monitor

progress toward those goals, and how to handle high-pressure situations.

Students also taught stress management techniques.

Results were higher test scores that continued for over 2 years after they had gone through the program.

Jamie Escalante “Stand and Deliver” Inner-city LA school trying to get students to

reach their full potential.AP calculus exam only taken by 2% of

students nation wide. In 1987 Escalante’s students accounted for

26% of all Mexican Americans to receive college credit for taking the exam

St. Mel inner-city Catholic school in Chicago consisting of economically disadvantaged students.

Set high standards on learning. Expected students to understand information on

a deep level instead of surface level. Teachers were expected to give substantial feed

back on all written work. For the past 7 years 100% of graduating seniors

have been accepted into college and half of those have gone to top-tier or Ivy League schools.

Xavier University Since 1993 they have placed more African

American students into medical school that any other university.

Sets high standards with a rigorous curriculum and an intensive college prep program.

Education philosophy: “The mind is an unlimited facility, that if you give the support, provided the environment and teachers, young people will exceed their own potential.”

Challenge the students

Set high attainable standards

Attention to students

Scaffolding

Cognitive

Substantive feedback

Motivational

Goal setting

Self-management strategies

Belonging

Learning environments should cultivate a students feelings of belonging

Positive relationships with responsible adults

Rigorous, supportive learning environment promotes student tenacity.

Student outcomes were most improved when a caring and supportive environment was combined with “academic press” or a focus on learning and high expectations.

Educators need to send the message in word and deed that their students truly belong and have great potential.