Growth Mindset for 9th Graders
An online program for ninth-grade students as they transition to high school to improve grade point average and willingness to take difficult course work by changing the mindset toward learning.
Program Outcomes
- Academic Performance
Program Type
- Academic Services
- School - Individual Strategies
Program Setting
- School
Continuum of Intervention
- Universal Prevention
Age
- Late Adolescence (15-18) - High School
Gender
- Both
Race/Ethnicity
- All
Endorsements
Blueprints: Promising
Program Information Contact
PERTS (Project for Education Research That Scales)
Alejandra Zeiger
Email: support@perts.net
Website: https://perts.net/ninth-grade-mindset
For additional program and research information, see:
https://studentexperiencenetwork.org/national-mindset-study/
Program Developer/Owner
David Paunesku, Ph.D.
PERTS (Project for Education Research That Scales)
Brief Description of the Program
The program seeks to teach adolescents that intellectual abilities are not fixed but capable of growth with dedicated effort. It focuses on reducing negative beliefs about effort (e.g., having to try hard or ask for help means you lack ability), fixed-trait attributions (e.g., failure stems from low ability), and performance avoidance goals (e.g., never looking stupid). During regular school hours, students complete two self-administered online sessions that last approximately 25 minutes each and occur roughly 20 days apart. The first session starts in weeks 2-5 of the fall or spring semester, and the second session starts in weeks 5-10 of the same semesters. The sessions include scientific information but also ask students to help in communicating these ideas to others and to apply them to their own life. Since the intervention is computerized, materials can be delivered as designed without extensive researcher involvement or facilitator training and geographic constraints and logistical burdens are reduced, thereby providing scalable techniques to improve students' approach to learning and achievement in high school.
The program seeks to teach adolescents that intellectual abilities are not fixed but capable of growth with dedicated effort. It focuses on reducing negative beliefs about effort (e.g., having to try hard or ask for help means you lack ability), fixed-trait attributions (e.g., failure stems from low ability), and performance avoidance goals (e.g., never looking stupid). During regular school hours, students complete two self-administered online sessions that last approximately 25 minutes each and occur roughly 20 days apart. The first session starts in weeks 2-5 of the fall or spring semester, and the second session starts in weeks 5-10 of the same semesters. The sessions include scientific information but also ask students to help in communicating these ideas to others and to apply them to their own life.
The first session covers the basic idea of a growth mindset - that an individual's intellectual abilities can be developed by taking on challenging work, improving one's learning strategies, and asking for appropriate help. The second session invites students to deepen their understanding of the growth mindset and its application in their lives. Students are not told outright that they should work hard or employ particular study or learning strategies. Rather, effort and strategy revision are described as general behaviors through which students can develop their abilities and thereby achieve their goals.
Since the intervention is computerized, materials can be delivered as designed without extensive researcher involvement or facilitator training and geographic constraints and logistical burdens are reduced, thereby providing scalable techniques to improve students' approach to learning and achievement in high school.
Outcomes
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
Study 1 (Yeager et al., 2019; Zhu et al., 2019) found that, relative to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly higher
- GPA overall and in math/science classes
- Enrollment in advanced math classes
- Fixed-mindset beliefs.
Study 3
Yeager et al. (2016) found that, relative to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly
- Greater improvement in self-reported measures of a growth mindset
- Higher end-of-semester GPA for those with low prior achievement.
Brief Evaluation Methodology
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
Of the four studies Blueprints has reviewed, two studies (Studies 1 and 3) meet Blueprints evidentiary standards (specificity, evaluation quality, impact, dissemination readiness). The studies were done by the developer.
Study 1
Yeager et al. (2019) and Zhu et al. (2019) examined a nationally representative sample of ninth-grade students who were randomly assigned to an intervention group (N = 6,700) or a control group (N = 6,720). As designated in the pre-registration, Yeager et al. (2019) focused on 6,320 low-achieving students, while Zhu et al. (2019) focused on the full sample. The primary outcome was student GPA at the end of ninth grade, but fixed-mindset beliefs were measured at the end of the intervention sessions and enrollment in advanced math courses was measured in tenth grade.
Study 3
Yeager et al. (2016) used a randomized controlled trial to examine 3,676 ninth-grade students in 10 high schools. Students randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups completed posttest self-reports at the end of the program, and their grades in core courses were examined at the end of the semester.
Subgroup Analysis Details
Subgroup differences in program effects by race, ethnicity, or gender (coded in binary terms as male/female) or program effects for a sample of a specific race, ethnic, or gender group.
- Study 1 (Yeager et al., 2019; Zhu et al,. 2019) tested for subgroup differences in program effects by race, and ethnicity and found equal benefits across subgroups. In addition, Zhu et al. (2019) tested for subgroup differences in program effects by gender and economic disadvantage (i.e., poverty status) and found equal benefits across subgroups.
- Study 3 (Yeager et al., 2016) did not test for subgroup effects defined by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, economic disadvantage, geographic location, or birth origin.
Sample demographics including race, ethnicity, and gender for Blueprints-certified studies:
- The Study 1 sample was 49% female, 43% white, 24% Hispanic, 11% black, 4% Asian, and 18% multiple race/ethnicity.
- The Study 2 sample was 17% Hispanic/Latino, 6% Black/African American, 3% Native American/ American Indian, 48% White, non-Hispanic, 5% Asian/Asian American, and 21% from another or multiple racial groups. Forty-eight percent were female.
The Program Information Packet is intended for educators who are interested in learning about or implementing Growth Mindset for 9th Graders at their school. The information provided in this document help educators understand the research behind the program, the process for implementing it, and how its impact is tracked. The packet also provides guidance for introducing others to Growth Mindset for 9th Graders and a variety of helpful resources such as: a shareable brochure, a printable implementation checklist, and answers to the most frequently asked questions (accessible through an interactive Support Portal).
In addition to the Program Information Packet and the supporting resources it links to, there is a step-by-step guide within the Growth Mindset for 9th Graders platform. After creating an account and accessing a web-based Dashboard, educators will find interactive instructions that detail how to facilitate, launch, and monitor the program. The Dashboard also includes instructions on how to describe the program to students and suggestions on how to manage any potential technical issues.
Source: Washington State Institute for Public Policy
All benefit-cost ratios are the most recent estimates published by The Washington State Institute for Public Policy for Blueprint programs implemented in Washington State. These ratios are based on a) meta-analysis estimates of effect size and b) monetized benefits and calculated costs for programs as delivered in the State of Washington. Caution is recommended in applying these estimates of the benefit-cost ratio to any other state or local area. They are provided as an illustration of the benefit-cost ratio found in one specific state. When feasible, local costs and monetized benefits should be used to calculate expected local benefit-cost ratios. The formula for this calculation can be found on the WSIPP website.
Start-Up Costs
Initial Training and Technical Assistance
No information is available
Curriculum and Materials
Growth Mindset for 9th Graders is available for free to all high schools in the United States and can be accessed via the PERTS (Project for Education Research That Scales) website.
The Program Information Packet is intended for educators who are interested in learning about or implementing Growth Mindset for 9th Graders at their school. The information provided in this document helps educators understand the research behind the program, the process for implementing it, and how its impact is tracked. The packet also provides guidance for introducing others to Growth Mindset for 9th Graders and a variety of helpful resources such as: a shareable brochure, a printable implementation checklist, and answers to the most frequently asked questions (accessible through an interactive Support Portal).
In addition to the Program Information Packet and the supporting resources it links to, there is a step-by-step guide within the Growth Mindset for 9th Graders platform. After creating an account and accessing a web-based Dashboard, educators will find interactive instructions that detail how to facilitate, launch, and monitor the program. The Dashboard also includes instructions on how to describe the program to students and suggestions on how to manage any potential technical issues.
Licensing
No information is available
Other Start-Up Costs
Internet access is necessary to set up a Growth Mindset for 9th Graders account and to access the surveys. Students can participate in the program using either computers or on mobile devices. Students have the option to turn on the audio on the modules and have the content read aloud to them. For this reason, students should be provided with headphones as they complete both modules.
Intervention Implementation Costs
Ongoing Curriculum and Materials
No information is available
Staffing
The program is open for participation from June to May and can be implemented once per academic semester (once in the Fall and once in the Spring). Typically, educators implement the program during the Fall semester, as freshmen benefit from learning about growth mindset during this challenging and significant period of transition.
Educators and facilitators can decide in which subject areas they want to implement the program. Students should complete the two 30-minute online modules (a survey about growth mindset and a set of writing exercises) on their own during class, with modules completed about 1-4 weeks apart. Each individual student should only complete the program once. It typically takes about 2-4 weeks to finalize the program logistics for a school and less than one hour to register and get set up on the online platform.
Teachers and staff may want to dedicate an hour of (professional development) time to review and analyze the report data.
Other Implementation Costs
No information is available
Implementation Support and Fidelity Monitoring Costs
Ongoing Training and Technical Assistance
Technical assistance is available to answer specific questions about program implementation, and may be accessed via email or online.
Fidelity Monitoring and Evaluation
Each semester, PERTS generates a report (for schools with at least 30 participants) which shows the impact of the program on survey outcomes at your school and across other participating schools. This report can be downloaded directly from your Dashboard.
Ongoing License Fees
No information is available
Other Implementation Support and Fidelity Monitoring Costs
No information is available
Other Cost Considerations
No information is available
Year One Cost Example
No information is available
Program Developer/Owner
David Paunesku, Ph.D.Executive Director and Co-FounderPERTS (Project for Education Research That Scales)dave@perts.net perts.net
Program Outcomes
- Academic Performance
Program Specifics
Program Type
- Academic Services
- School - Individual Strategies
Program Setting
- School
Continuum of Intervention
- Universal Prevention
Program Goals
An online program for ninth-grade students as they transition to high school to improve grade point average and willingness to take difficult course work by changing the mindset toward learning.
Population Demographics
Ninth-grade students, particularly those with below-average school achievement.
Target Population
Age
- Late Adolescence (15-18) - High School
Gender
- Both
Race/Ethnicity
- All
Subgroup Analysis Details
Subgroup differences in program effects by race, ethnicity, or gender (coded in binary terms as male/female) or program effects for a sample of a specific race, ethnic, or gender group.
- Study 1 (Yeager et al., 2019; Zhu et al,. 2019) tested for subgroup differences in program effects by race, and ethnicity and found equal benefits across subgroups. In addition, Zhu et al. (2019) tested for subgroup differences in program effects by gender and economic disadvantage (i.e., poverty status) and found equal benefits across subgroups.
- Study 3 (Yeager et al., 2016) did not test for subgroup effects defined by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, economic disadvantage, geographic location, or birth origin.
Sample demographics including race, ethnicity, and gender for Blueprints-certified studies:
- The Study 1 sample was 49% female, 43% white, 24% Hispanic, 11% black, 4% Asian, and 18% multiple race/ethnicity.
- The Study 2 sample was 17% Hispanic/Latino, 6% Black/African American, 3% Native American/ American Indian, 48% White, non-Hispanic, 5% Asian/Asian American, and 21% from another or multiple racial groups. Forty-eight percent were female.
Other Risk and Protective Factors
Improved attitudes and beliefs about learning (i.e., intellectual abilities are capable of growth) by reducing negative beliefs about effort, fixed-trait attributions and performance avoidance
Risk/Protective Factor Domain
- Individual
Risk/Protective Factors
Risk Factors
Protective Factors
*Risk/Protective Factor was significantly impacted by the program
Brief Description of the Program
The program seeks to teach adolescents that intellectual abilities are not fixed but capable of growth with dedicated effort. It focuses on reducing negative beliefs about effort (e.g., having to try hard or ask for help means you lack ability), fixed-trait attributions (e.g., failure stems from low ability), and performance avoidance goals (e.g., never looking stupid). During regular school hours, students complete two self-administered online sessions that last approximately 25 minutes each and occur roughly 20 days apart. The first session starts in weeks 2-5 of the fall or spring semester, and the second session starts in weeks 5-10 of the same semesters. The sessions include scientific information but also ask students to help in communicating these ideas to others and to apply them to their own life. Since the intervention is computerized, materials can be delivered as designed without extensive researcher involvement or facilitator training and geographic constraints and logistical burdens are reduced, thereby providing scalable techniques to improve students' approach to learning and achievement in high school.
Description of the Program
The program seeks to teach adolescents that intellectual abilities are not fixed but capable of growth with dedicated effort. It focuses on reducing negative beliefs about effort (e.g., having to try hard or ask for help means you lack ability), fixed-trait attributions (e.g., failure stems from low ability), and performance avoidance goals (e.g., never looking stupid). During regular school hours, students complete two self-administered online sessions that last approximately 25 minutes each and occur roughly 20 days apart. The first session starts in weeks 2-5 of the fall or spring semester, and the second session starts in weeks 5-10 of the same semesters. The sessions include scientific information but also ask students to help in communicating these ideas to others and to apply them to their own life.
The first session covers the basic idea of a growth mindset - that an individual's intellectual abilities can be developed by taking on challenging work, improving one's learning strategies, and asking for appropriate help. The second session invites students to deepen their understanding of the growth mindset and its application in their lives. Students are not told outright that they should work hard or employ particular study or learning strategies. Rather, effort and strategy revision are described as general behaviors through which students can develop their abilities and thereby achieve their goals.
Since the intervention is computerized, materials can be delivered as designed without extensive researcher involvement or facilitator training and geographic constraints and logistical burdens are reduced, thereby providing scalable techniques to improve students' approach to learning and achievement in high school.
Theoretical Rationale
Teaching adolescents that intellectual abilities are not fixed but capable of growth with dedicated effort can improve how they think or feel about themselves and how well they do in their schoolwork. Also, the defined user group to teach growth mindset is students making the transition to high school. Focusing on ninth-grade students and improving the transition to high school is an important policy objective, as students who do not successfully complete ninth-grade core courses have a dramatically lower rate of high school graduation and much poorer life prospects.
Theoretical Orientation
- Skill Oriented
Brief Evaluation Methodology
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
Of the four studies Blueprints has reviewed, two studies (Studies 1 and 3) meet Blueprints evidentiary standards (specificity, evaluation quality, impact, dissemination readiness). The studies were done by the developer.
Study 1
Yeager et al. (2019) and Zhu et al. (2019) examined a nationally representative sample of ninth-grade students who were randomly assigned to an intervention group (N = 6,700) or a control group (N = 6,720). As designated in the pre-registration, Yeager et al. (2019) focused on 6,320 low-achieving students, while Zhu et al. (2019) focused on the full sample. The primary outcome was student GPA at the end of ninth grade, but fixed-mindset beliefs were measured at the end of the intervention sessions and enrollment in advanced math courses was measured in tenth grade.
Study 3
Yeager et al. (2016) used a randomized controlled trial to examine 3,676 ninth-grade students in 10 high schools. Students randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups completed posttest self-reports at the end of the program, and their grades in core courses were examined at the end of the semester.
Outcomes (Brief, over all studies)
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
Study 1
Yeager et al. (2019) and Zhu et al. (2019) found that the intervention group had significantly higher overall GPA and math/science GPA than the control group. The intervention effects appeared for both the full sample and the subsample of low-achieving students. The intervention also improved a measure of fixed-mindset beliefs and, for the sample of all students, enrollment in tenth-grade advanced math classes.
Study 3
Yeager et al. (2016) found that the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in self-reported measures of a growth mindset than the control group. For the end-of-semester GPA, the intervention group also did significantly better than the control group but only for those with low prior achievement. For a related measure of poor grades, the intervention group did significantly better than the control group overall and for those with low prior achievement.
Outcomes
Primary Evidence Base for Certification
Study 1 (Yeager et al., 2019; Zhu et al., 2019) found that, relative to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly higher
- GPA overall and in math/science classes
- Enrollment in advanced math classes
- Fixed-mindset beliefs.
Study 3
Yeager et al. (2016) found that, relative to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly
- Greater improvement in self-reported measures of a growth mindset
- Higher end-of-semester GPA for those with low prior achievement.
Effect Size
In Study 1 (Yeager et al., 2019), the GPA effect size of .11 for the low-achieving subsample was small by the usual standards, but the authors argued that for GPA, an effect of that size was substantively important. The GPA effect size of .04 for the full sample in Study 1 (Zhu et al., 2019, Appendix Table C.1) was even smaller.
Generalizability
Two studies meet Blueprints standards for high-quality methods with strong evidence of program impact (i.e., "certified" by Blueprints): Study 1 (Yeager et al., 2019; Zhu et al., 2019) and Study 3 (Yeager et al., 2016). The samples for both studies included ninth-grade students.
Study 1 examined students from a nationally representative sample of U.S. high schools and compared the treatment group to an active control group.
Study 3 examined students came from a national convenience sample of public high schools in California, New York, Texas, Virginia, and North Carolina and compared the treatment group to an active control group.
Potential Limitations
Additional Studies (not certified by Blueprints)
Study 2 (Yeager et al., 2016)
- No behavioral outcome measures
- Unclear on use of baseline outcomes as covariates
- Posttest effects only for risk and protective factors
Yeager, D. S., Romero, C., Paunesku, D., Hulleman, C., Schneider, B., Hinojosa, C., . . . Dweck, C. S. (2016). Using design thinking to improve psychological interventions: The case of the growth mindset during the transition to high school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(3), 374-391.
Study 4 (Paunesku et al., 2015)
- Details on attrition unclear
- Incomplete tests for baseline equivalence
- No tests for differential attrition (and only the sample size for the analysis sample was reported)
- No main effects for the primary outcome (GPA), with condition differences only for the at-risk sample
Paunesku, D., Walton, G. M., Romero, C., Smith, E. N., Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2015). Mind-set interventions are a scalable treatment for academic underachievement. Psychological Science, 26, 784 -793. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797615571017
Endorsements
Blueprints: Promising
Program Information Contact
PERTS (Project for Education Research That Scales)
Alejandra Zeiger
Email: support@perts.net
Website: https://perts.net/ninth-grade-mindset
For additional program and research information, see:
https://studentexperiencenetwork.org/national-mindset-study/