ST NORBERT NEWS

Dean of Studies

Grit, Perseverance and Self-Control

“Grit,” a book by University of Pennsylvania Professor Angela Duckworth, has gained traction in education and parenting circles both in the United States and here in Australia in recent times. In the book, Professor Duckworth defines grit as a combination of perseverance and passion, and being important for long-term academic success. Professor Duckworth discusses some of her studies around grit and the idea of building one’s ability to persist. Some of the proposals and ideas have merit for the improvement of student effort and for parenting strategies.

In contrast, The Hechinger Report (a non-profit and independent news organisation) published an article on March 11, 2019 by Jill Barshay titled, 'Research scholars to air problems with using ‘grit’ at school[1]'. The criticisms in the article by Barshay note the statistical and methodological errors, inaccurate survey questions, and more importantly, that many researchers are finding that grit isn’t strongly associated with academic achievement. The existence of other skills that are far more powerful than grit is important to recognise, and Professor Duckworth has conceded there were problems with the survey questions that she used to measure grit in people. Analysis of the studies in grit have found that the questions end up measuring how conscientious a person is.

However, Professor Duckworth says her critics are missing her point about the power of grit when they compare students’ grit scores with grades and test scores. "Grit is something I think young people need to grow toward," said Duckworth. "By definition, grit is passion for something that takes a long time to complete and perseverance". Duckworth acknowledges that grit shouldn’t be the most important factor in determining a student’s grades or test scores: "There ought to be other predictors, like self-control, that should be more predictive of grades than grit".

The key message is to identify the challenge around building the ability to persevere when faced with difficulty. For students, perseverance develops when trying different strategies for homework, assignments and classwork. Perseverance also develops with an ongoing commitment to train for sport and/or rehearse for a drama, dance or music performance. Becoming involved in service opportunities builds grit and perseverance because service activities are not always what we would readily choose to do. At St Norbert College, students can discover a range of ways to persevere and build confidence to achieve their goals at school and to prepare for life beyond.

 

[1] https://hechingerreport.org/research-scholars-to-air-problems-with-using-grit-at-school/

Academic Excellence Program

The Academic Excellence Program at St Norbert College aims to provide students with the opportunity to extend their learning in the classroom and beyond, with the intention to empower students to develop their talents for creativity, collaboration and problem-solving in order to be effective in their life beyond school. To ensure that the Academic Excellence Program (AEP) continues to contribute to the Mission of St Norbert College, the design of the program for 2019 aims to accurately reflect extension of student learning. In seeking to differentiate learning, the AEP will focus on greater complexity and depth of learning, development of critical and purposeful thinking, and (student) confidence for independent and self-directed learning.

In Semester One, participation in the Academic Excellence Program is open to all students from Years 7-9, and provides an opportunity for students to engage with the themes and topics including:

  • How to Study: The Power of Habit; Improve Your Thinking; Introduction to Philosophy
  • Teams: Models of Group Cohesion; Building Bridges
  • Presentations and Public Performance
  • Appreciating Creativity

All students who wish to participate must commit to the weekly meetings with the Academic Excellence Coordinator, Mrs Lyndsey Cardenia, during Semester One, with the aim to actively engage with at least two of the projects on offer. An electronic copy of the application forms will be sent to all students (Year 7-9) and paper copies will be available from the Dean of Studies' office from Week 1.7. The Academic Excellence Program for students in Years 10-12 will commence in Term Two, and more information will be published in the next newsletter.

NAPLAN Online

In 2019, students in Year 7 and Year 9 are required to complete the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). The tests will be conducted for reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The assessment provides parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. All tests will be completed in the online format in 2019 and students are expected to attend the scheduled assessment times. Where possible, the College may arrange for individual students who are absent at the time of the test(s) to complete missed NAPLAN assessments, although no student will be permitted to sit the NAPLAN Online after Friday May 24. The dates for NAPLAN Online at St Norbert College will be as follows:

  • Tuesday May 14 – Writing (40 minutes)
  • Thursday May 16 – Reading (65 minutes)
  • Friday May 17 – Conventions of Language (45 minutes)
  • Monday May 20 – Numeracy (65 minutes)

Students may wish to become familiar with the platform via the public demonstration site:

www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/naplan-online/naplan-online-public-demonstration-site

 

For additional support and preparation, students may also access the literacy and numeracy workshops offered by the College. Please contact Ms Penny Mulley (Head of English) or Mrs Colette Miranda (Head of Mathematics) for more information regarding the workshops.

 

Mr R Dowling (Dean of Studies)