Change Your Attitude, Ace Your Test?

Can changing the way you think about yourself lead to better grades in school?

Researchers believe success does have something to do with your mindset. This is why M.S. 22 in the Bronx, which is on the state's list of "persistently struggling" schools, experimented this year with a new curriculum aimed at helping students take more control over their learning.

The school is in Mayor Bill de Blasio's Renewal program and we've been documenting efforts all year to improve its environment and academics.

The lessons were developed by a company called Mindset Works, which got a $3.5 million federal grant to study their effectiveness over three years. Sylvia Roberts, director of research and implementation, said the materials teach students to assess what they need to succeed and how to learn from mistakes.

"Someone that has a growth mindset is someone that believes that they can develop their abilities," she explained. "That they can grow their abilities with effort, practice and learning."

The curriculum is based on the work of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, who's written about growth versus fixed mindsets. Those with fixed mindsets view themselves as having a limited amount of talent or intelligence, and may give up more easily. 

M.S. 22 Principal Edgar Lin reached out to the researchers last year and they agreed to add his school to the study which comprises 60 teachers at schools in New York and California. 

Roberts' curriculum, which is called Brainology, was used twice a week in sixth and seventh grade science classes. It taught students that the brain was like a muscle or organ that can be strengthened. Kids learned why broccoli and other vegetables were good for them.

"The brain uses 25 percent of the energy from the food that we eat," said sixth grader Birante Kande.

They also learned tips for studying. "Go to your room, close the door, close the window," said Birante. "Turn off the TV and just do your work there."

Changing mindsets is difficult, though. Sixth grader Carolyn Rosario acknowledged she sometimes feels disappointed after getting a bad grade, and doesn't study as hard afterwards. During a class discussion in June about goals for the summer, she said she wanted to do better in school, and she's more aware now that brains need time to learn.

"That’s why I should never give up," she explained. "I can’t learn things so fast at the same time. I should take my time."

Science teacher Cruzanni Escarre said her students really took to the program. They would write down reflections after each assignment, and she said they were very intrigued about the impact of healthy eating and getting more sleep, things they can control. When the state tests rolled around in April, she said, they almost all got to school on time and nobody fell asleep.

"I’ve proctored tests where I’ve had kids who were sleeping during the tests, and we have to, like, wake them up," she said. "And this year we didn't have that."

Researchers at the University of California in Davis will compare classes in the same schools that did and didn't use the curriculum.