A Program of Iowa College Aid

A Program of Iowa College Aid

FIXED VS. GROWTH MINDSETSome people make it look easy. There seemingly isn’t a challenge they can’t overcome. But their skills aren’t unique.

Most of what leads to success in school and life comes down to your mindset when approaching a new challenge or goal. “Mindset” can be defined as your attitude, thoughts or beliefs.

There are two types of mindsets: a fixed mindset (belief that abilities can’t change) and a growth mindset (belief that abilities can be developed). Understanding the difference can help you understand why students with a growth mindset are more likely to succeed.

When it comes to challenges, those with a growth mindset embrace them, while those with a fixed mindset tend to avoid them. Students with a growth mindset persist in the face of obstacles, while those with fixed mindsets are prone to giving

FAMILY NEWSLETTER

10TH GRADE TO-DOTake the PSAT in October.

Ask your counselor about prerequisites for junior and senior courses.

Start attending college fairs and arranging college visits.

Continue to add to your college savings account.

Look for updates at gearupiowa.gov

continued on page 2

INSTEAD OF ... TRY ...

I give up I’ll use some of the strategies I’ve learned

I made a mistake Mistakes help me improve

This is too hard This might take time and effort

I’m not good at this What am I missing?

It’s good enough Is this really my best work?

COMING TO A SCHOOL NEAR YOU!

Representatives from Iowa State University will be visiting GEAR UP Iowa high schools during November to talk about admissions, financial aid, scholarships and what life is like on a college campus. Parent sessions will also be available and will be offered in Spanish at select locations. The goal of these events is to connect and inform students and families about the resources available at Iowa State University that will assist in starting the college and career planning process.

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY’S GEAR UP IOWA NIGHTS

FIXED VS. GROWTH MINDSET continued from page 1

2

CEDAR RAPIDS | CLINTON | COLUMBUS | DAVENPORT | DENISON | DES MOINES | FORT DODGE |MARSHALLTOWN | OTTUMWA | PERRY | SIOUX CITY | STORM LAKE

up. Those with a growth mindset know that effort is the path to mastery or accomplishment of a skill, but those with a fixed mindset might feel that effort doesn’t matter.

Facing criticism, a growth mindset will use critical or negative feedback to help grow in their skills, while a fixed mindset might ignore useful feedback because they see it as personally negative. In that same way, those with a fixed mindset might feel threatened by the success of others, while those with a growth mindset celebrate the inspiration of others, drawing lessons from how others succeed while realizing that life isn’t a competition.

Keep these ideas in mind to better develop a growth mindset:

• Making mistakes is part of learning.

• “Yet” is powerful, gives us permission to keep trying.

• The brain is like a muscle; it can grow through effort.

• Students have the power to change or reframe their attitudes or mindset.

“Noncognitive skills” is a term used to refer to attitudes, habits and skills such as persistence, dependability, self-discipline and resiliency. Mindset is just one of these noncognitive skills that play a large part in academic success.

LESSLY ORTEGA Storm Lake High School, one of four GEAR UP Iowa students chosen to attend the 2017 Youth Leadership Summit in San Francisco

How did you feel about being selected?

I could not believe it, and reality didn’t hit me until I was at the Leadership Summit. When I walked into the room on the first day, I looked around at everyone and I had a moment where I felt like I knew where I was and what I wanted to do.

What did you take away? I learned so much about myself and how to be a person that people could look up to. I couldn’t exactly tell you what’s to come, but I can tell you that something great is about to happen and that change is well on its way. I am truly grateful to everyone who made this opportunity possible.

STUDENT VOICEGEAR UP WEEKGEAR UP programs, schools, families and partners across the country are joining to celebrate National GEAR UP Week September 17–23. This weeklong celebration will highlight the positive impact GEAR UP has on students, families and communities in Iowa and around the country. To celebrate GEAR UP Week in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds will sign a proclamation at the Capitol on September 18 to recognize GEAR UP Iowa’s efforts to prepare students to enroll and succeed in college.

Please join us in the celebration by following us on social media using the hashtags #GEARUPWorks, #IAmGEARUP and #OneInAMillion. We’d love to see pictures and hear your story about how GEAR UP Iowa works for you and your community!

ACT ENGAGE As part of our efforts to help GEAR UP Iowa students develop “soft skills” (motivation, confidence, organization, teamwork, etc.), each GEAR UP Iowa school district* will offer ACT Engage free of charge in its schools this fall.

ACT Engage is an online assessment that can help identify students who are at risk of low grades or other academic struggles. It also helps predict how they might perform in college. Topics include:

3

• Academic Discipline

• Commitment to College

• Communication Skills

• Goal Striving

• Study Skills

• Social Connection

• General Determination

• Academic Self-Confidence

The test lasts about 30 minutes and is usually administered during the school day. Your student does not need to do anything special to prepare. After the results are compiled, your student will receive a full report and the GEAR UP Iowa coach/coordinator or school counselor will review it with them. The report will allow your student to learn about the areas where they need to improve before entering college, and the GEAR UP Iowa coach or school counselor can help them determine what steps they should take to be successful.

*Some GEAR UP Iowa school districts have opted out of this service. To find out if your student’s school is participating, please contact the GEAR UP coach/coordinator or school counselor at their high school.

A Program of Iowa College Aid

CRITICAL SKILLS STUDENTS NEED FOR COLLEGE Test scores and GPA alone don’t predict the future. Many crucial skills that set a student up for success can’t be measured with numbers. These skills—persistence, dependability, self-discipline, resiliency and mindset—are what we call “noncognitive skills,” and they’ll help a student far beyond graduation. In this issue we take a close look at mindset.

ABOUT GEAR UP GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) prepares students and families to enroll and succeed in college. GEAR UP Iowa, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, supports more than 7,000 students in 12 school districts.

Si desea leer este boletín en español puede visitar: gearupiowa.gov

430 East Grand Avenue, FL 3 Des Moines, IA 50309-1920

Welcome to GEAR UP Iowa

FALL 2017Fixed vs. Growth MindsetISU’s GEAR UP Iowa NightsGEAR UP Week in IowaStudent VoiceACT Engage

/gearupiowa

@GEARUP_Iowa

gearupiowa

gearupiowa.gov