Research & data
National data show students are losing ground in K–12 and leaving college before they finish. Decades of research on persistence point to skills that can be taught. G.R.I.T. Academy teaches them, from elementary school to the college years.
K–12 · NAEP 2024, The Nation’s Report Card
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only assessment that measures what U.S. students know across every state. The 2024 results:
The gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students has widened, and scores in every tested grade and subject remain below 2019 levels. Sources: The Nation’s Report Card; National Assessment Governing Board.
College · NCES, Condition of Education
The National Center for Education Statistics tracks how many first-time, full-time students come back for a second year and how many finish.
What the research says
Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews & Kelly (2007) defined grit as perseverance and passion for long-term goals. In their studies, grit predicted which West Point cadets completed summer training and who advanced in the National Spelling Bee, beyond talent measures alone.
A large meta-analysis by Credé, Tynan & Harms (2017) found that the perseverance of effort part of grit is more closely tied to performance than overall grit scores. That is why G.R.I.T. focuses on habits students practice (effort, bouncing back, following through), not a label.
A national study of U.S. ninth graders (Yeager et al., 2019, Nature) found that a short online growth-mindset program improved grades among lower-achieving students and increased enrollment in advanced math.
Tinto’s research on student departure shows that students persist when they are connected academically and socially to their school. Mentoring, goal-setting and a sense of belonging are central to staying enrolled.
Dr. White’s research
More first-generation students are getting into college, but too few graduate. Dr. India White’s doctoral dissertation (Ed.D., Educational Leadership, University of Florida, 2020) asked what helps them persist. She interviewed Take Stock in Children scholarship recipients, first-generation students from Florida’s college-access program, and compared their stories in a qualitative case study.
The scholars named six things that kept them in college:
These findings match wider research on college persistence, including the central role of social support and grit. That research, and her own journey from homelessness at sixteen to three University of Florida degrees as a first-generation student, shaped the G.R.I.T. Framework.
Citation
White, W. M. I. (2020). Understanding the Persistence of Take Stock in Children Scholarship Recipients [Doctoral dissertation, University of Florida]. 147 pp.
The full text is also available in the University of Florida Digital Collections.
From research to G.R.I.T.
Published work
Her University of Florida dissertation on college persistence, plus articles for mathematicians and math teachers published by the American Mathematical Society and the National and Florida Councils of Teachers of Mathematics.
Doctoral dissertation · University of Florida
What helps first-generation students finish college? Take Stock in Children scholars named mentors, financial support, adjusting to college, relationships, intrinsic motivation and staying in the program.
Get the book on Amazon →Notices of the American Mathematical Society
Dr. White’s article for mathematicians and math educators nationwide on equity, access and every student’s right to be heard in mathematics.
Read the article (PDF) →Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK–12 (NCTM)
Published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the nation’s largest organization of math teachers.
Read at NCTM →FCTM Dimensions Journal (Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics)
The G.R.I.T. Framework, the G.R.I.T. Board Game Series for productive struggle in math, and the G.R.I.T. Assessment for measuring growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy and time management.
View at FCTM →FCTM Dimensions Journal (Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics)
Recommendations for equitable mathematics policies and classroom practices across Florida.
Read more →Some journals require a subscription or membership to read the full article.
Bridging K–12 and college
Students who learn persistence early carry it into college. G.R.I.T. Academy teaches the same four pillars (Growth mindset, Resilience, Self-efficacy and Time management) at every stage, so the language students learn in school is the language they use when college gets hard.
K–12: struggling readers and math students learn that skill grows with practice.
College: first-year students recover from a failed exam instead of dropping the course.
K–12: the 11 Florida resiliency skills, taught and quizzed.
College: bouncing back from setbacks, homesickness and first-semester stress.
K–12: believing “I can” in math, reading and every hard subject.
College: asking for help, using office hours and advocating for yourself.
K–12: setting goals, prioritizing and finishing assignments and courses.
College: balancing classes, work and family, returning for year two, and finishing the degree.
Every lesson ends in an auto-graded quiz. Teachers, schools and districts see completion, pass rates and results by student group, and can export them for board and state reports.
Courses and workbooks for students, mentees, athletes and first-generation leaders support the students national data show are most at risk of leaving.
Courses for teachers, administrators, parents and mentors mean students hear the same message at school, at home and on campus.
