7th-Graders' 'Grit' to be Studied

Can Bensalem schools challenge students–particularly seventh-graders–to become grittier?

That's the prospect for a research study that the Bensalem Township School Board approved Wednesday night. Geared for the district's 450 seventh-graders, the computer-based study is expected to get underway the first week of December and conclude by spring, according to Superintendent David Baugh.

Student participation in the no-cost study is up to parents, Baugh said. Letters outlining the specifics of the study will be sent home Thursday, he said. 

The three-phase study would begin with a pre-test evaluation to determine student beliefs, attitudes and "grit levels," according to information presented last week. 

By January, intervention would get underway and in March or April a post-test wrap-up would reassess students and offer daily practice sessions to "reinforce the gritty habits and skills" taught in the study, according to the presentation.

The study is led by research psychologist and University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Angela Duckworth, who describes grit as "passion and perseverance for very long-term goals."

"Everyone has grit to a certain extent," Baugh said, adding that the intent, from the district's perspective, is to enable students to take on more forward-thinking approaches that lead to positive achievements and the attainment of goals. 

To help with that purpose, Baugh said the district will have access to the grit intervention for three years after the conclusion of the study.