Skip to main content

Adding the Grit Scale to School Data

I came across this great article on Edutopia by Nathan Barber on Adding the Grit Scale to School Data. This piece is showing how one school is investigating the possibility of measuring and teaching its students grit by adding Angela Duckworth's 12-item grit scale to the standard assessments.

Schools already use a lot of data - from ERB scores and PSAT, ACT, and SAT information to AP exam results - to help shape and focus instruction each year. However, this data provides a glimpse into a few facets of students who are complex young men and women.


Nathan is telling their story of how along with the leadership team, he began a search for a way to collect a different kind of data on their students, both current and incoming, that would help to understand them a little better, and would better equip them to put their students in a position to be successful. They decided to explore ways that Duckworth's research on grit, including her grit measurement scale, might help better serve their students. Upon agreeing that this metric could be a valuable tool, they began data collection immediately. Starting with middle school's eighth graders, they administered Duckworth's 12-item grit scale in the spring semester prior to their freshman year. This takes less than ten minutes of the students' time, so the process is quite efficient. He then shares how to put in place plans of action as well as making sure to nurture this in the long term. “Ideally, a year from now, then in two years, and so on, we will find that we have made a difference in our students' lives. Our goal, of course, centres on nurturing grit to help them become more successful, particularly over the long haul” he emphasizes. For the full article please follow this link. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The End of Year Data Handover

“And then she went to the porridge of the Little Wee Bear, and tasted it, and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and she liked it so well that she ate it all up, every bit!” — Goldilocks and the Three Bears    For many of us, the sun is shining and we are in the mad dash of wrapping things up before escaping for a well deserved summer. I suspect it would be an easy task if wrapping up was all we had to do, but of course it’s never that simple in a school. We don’t just pack up our class, we need to hand them over to next year’s division and teachers, and get ready to receive our next batch. The data handover is enormous, and figuring out the what and how requires a “Goldilocks” attitude - we’ve got to get it just right. Quantity: Sharing enough to inform, but not so much that it will overwhelm next year’s teachers.  Ingredients: Not sharing just numbers, but also anecdotal records and holistic data that will help teachers know students better and so...

Which comes first? The process or the culture?

  “Should we meet with primary and secondary leadership teams separately or together?” This question came up during a recent chat with Joe Barder, IT Director at AIS Lagos, when we were figuring out a strategy for building their data culture. A simple question, but it got me thinking a lot about the difference between organizational culture and organizational practices, and how we need to consider both when fostering change. At AIS Lagos, everyone is eager to dive in and start analysing data. However I also sensed some hesitation from Joe about jumping in without first establishing norms and shared practices. The question of whether to have data discussions at a whole school or division level is really about whether we want to start with targeted, relevant, and actionable sessions tailored for each group, or if we take the time to develop a whole-school shared understanding of what it means to be data-informed. In other words, do we focus on the culture or the practice?  On on...

Growing Data Champions

In my work with schools, I’m always on the look out for a school’s data champions: the early adopters of a culture where data is valued and is used to improve schools and student outcomes. Data champions help colleagues understand how to find, interpret, and use data effectively. They are also translators, able to turn complex findings into clear and actionable insights.  Image by  Mohamed Hassan  form  PxHere  - CC0 Public Domain We often go looking for data champions in the IT office, or failing that, in the math department, but the truth is that data champions are hiding in plain sight everywhere; anyone who believes in using data to inform choices, and who can convince others of the value of data, has the potential to become a champion.  So how do we find and grow these “sleeping champions”? Jim Collins share strategies for building “enduring greatness by cultivating a talent pipeline”. In a data context, this could include: Modeling data-driven d...