How 1% improvement can turn an F into an A

How 1% improvement can turn an F into an A Improving Academic Performance Most students don’t realize how small, incremental improvements can accumulate over time to create significant jumps in skill level or academic performance. Let’s begin by exploring some theories about performance and success that have a lot to do with becoming comfortable struggling and striving to make small improvements. Later, we’ll show how a seemingly small improvement of just 1% a week can turn an F into an A. One of the most important things for students to realize is that intelligence is something you build over time. It's not something you are born with. Just like working out helps your muscles grow, reading, writing, studying, preparing for and being tested, etc., helps your intelligence grow. The theory that your intelligence is like a muscle that can grow over time is called the “growth mindset” and has been studied and espoused by Carol Dweck, a professor of Psychology at Stanford, for over a decade. It is related to the research done by Angela Duckworth at the University of Pennsylvania, which shows that “grit” and the ability to persevere are a better predictor of academic performance over time than a student’s initial IQ score. The opposite of the “growth” mindset is the “fixed” mindset, which is where you fundamentally believe that your intelligence is static. It’s driven by your IQ, which you believe can’t be improved, and in any given area of your life, you either have an inborn talent for something, or you don’t. Most people, of course, are more growth mindset-oriented about some things and more fixed mindset-oriented about others. The more you adopt a “growth mindset” the harder you’ll try to solve problems and keep going at a task until you figure it out, and this process builds intelligence. A character trait called “grit” is what leads to sustained effort in the face of multiple failures or obstacles. So, having a growth mindset and being “gritty” are highly related. I like to argue that there are three dimensions to the “growth in your intelligence” that occurs over time when you keep trying to learn something in a sustained, deep, and focused way. First, you become “smarter” simply because you remember more facts and concepts. But, second, you also build new learnable skills related to math, reading, and writing that go beyond just remembering facts. And finally, you become “smarter” as your brain builds new neural connections, and in some small but meaningful way, becomes more efficient and effective at solving problems. Now, let’s take a turn with this article and explore the concepts above in the context of an interesting “performance rule” I was recently exposed to when listening to a presentation by a business consultant named David Nour â€" the 1% rule. Imagine that you get just 1% better at something every week. In about a year, you will be almost twice as good at it. It didn’t seem quite right to me when I initially heard it, so I decided to create a scenario for this article and work out the math behind the 1% rule to test it. Imagine that you or your child is in a math class Calculus 1. On the first quiz of the year, he or she received an F, having earned only 55 of the 100 points on that exam. What would happen if you adopt a growth mindset, and commit yourself to studying hard and improving slowly over time. You set a goal of improving by just 1% every week. Grade scale At or above A 90 B 80 C 70 D 60 F 50 Week Test points % improvement Amount of improvement Grade 1 55.00 1.00% 0.55 F 2 55.55 1.00% 0.56 F 3 56.11 1.00% 0.56 F 4 56.67 1.00% 0.57 F 5 57.23 1.00% 0.57 F 6 57.81 1.00% 0.58 F 7 58.38 1.00% 0.58 F 8 58.97 1.00% 0.59 F 9 59.56 1.00% 0.60 F 10 60.15 1.00% 0.60 D 11 60.75 1.00% 0.61 D 12 61.36 1.00% 0.61 D 13 61.98 1.00% 0.62 D 14 62.60 1.00% 0.63 D 15 63.22 1.00% 0.63 D 16 63.85 1.00% 0.64 D 17 64.49 1.00% 0.64 D 18 65.14 1.00% 0.65 D 19 65.79 1.00% 0.66 D 20 66.45 1.00% 0.66 D 21 67.11 1.00% 0.67 D 22 67.78 1.00% 0.68 D 23 68.46 1.00% 0.68 D 24 69.14 1.00% 0.69 D 25 69.84 1.00% 0.70 D 26 70.53 1.00% 0.71 C 27 71.24 1.00% 0.71 C 28 71.95 1.00% 0.72 C 29 72.67 1.00% 0.73 C 30 73.40 1.00% 0.73 C 31 74.13 1.00% 0.74 C 32 74.87 1.00% 0.75 C 33 75.62 1.00% 0.76 C 34 76.38 1.00% 0.76 C 35 77.14 1.00% 0.77 C 36 77.91 1.00% 0.78 C 37 78.69 1.00% 0.79 C 38 79.48 1.00% 0.79 C 39 80.27 1.00% 0.80 B 40 81.08 1.00% 0.81 B 41 81.89 1.00% 0.82 B 42 82.71 1.00% 0.83 B 43 83.53 1.00% 0.84 B 44 84.37 1.00% 0.84 B 45 85.21 1.00% 0.85 B 46 86.06 1.00% 0.86 B 47 86.93 1.00% 0.87 B 48 87.79 1.00% 0.88 B 49 88.67 1.00% 0.89 B 50 89.56 1.00% 0.90 B 51 90.45 1.00% 0.90 A 52 91.36 1.00% 0.91 A It turns out that 1 %improvement per week is enough to go from getting 55 out of 100 points (an F) to 92 out of 100 points (an A) by the end of the year. Nour’s 1% rule was right. But let's say your class is semester-based, and you don’t have a whole year. Well, if you can improve by just 2% a week, you’ll get to an A by the end of the semester. Grade scale At or above A 90 B 80 C 70 D 60 F 50 Week Test points % improvement Amount of improvement Grade 1 55.00 2.00% 1.10 F 2 56.10 2.00% 1.12 F 3 57.22 2.00% 1.14 F 4 58.37 2.00% 1.17 F 5 59.53 2.00% 1.19 F 6 60.72 2.00% 1.21 D 7 61.94 2.00% 1.24 D 8 63.18 2.00% 1.26 D 9 64.44 2.00% 1.29 D 10 65.73 2.00% 1.31 D 11 67.04 2.00% 1.34 D 12 68.39 2.00% 1.37 D 13 69.75 2.00% 1.40 D 14 71.15 2.00% 1.42 C 15 72.57 2.00% 1.45 C 16 74.02 2.00% 1.48 C 17 75.50 2.00% 1.51 C 18 77.01 2.00% 1.54 C 19 78.55 2.00% 1.57 C 20 80.12 2.00% 1.60 B 21 81.73 2.00% 1.63 B 22 83.36 2.00% 1.67 B 23 85.03 2.00% 1.70 B 24 86.73 2.00% 1.73 B 25 88.46 2.00% 1.77 B 26 90.23 2.00% 1.80 A 27 92.04 2.00% 1.84 A Many people struggle with believing that getting an A in a math class, particularly a class as complex as calculus, is fully under their control, as the above tables would suggest. They just tend to have trouble getting out of the fixed mindset, which suggests that there are “math people” with a talent for math for whom math classes are just far easier to comprehend. But Angela Duckworth, who I referenced earlier, offers up a nice “performance formula” to address this concern, which I initially was exposed to in the Psychology Podcast by Scott Barry Kaufman. I wrote about it in an earlier blog article, but I’ll recreate it here because I just find it so powerful and important for students to digest, internalize, and believe. PERFORMANCE = SKILL X EFFORT. This means that how well you do is a function of how much skill you have AND how much effort you apply. I find this intuitively true. But now, let’s explore what skill is really all about. SKILL = TALENT x EFFORT. Skill is a function of two things. First, it has something to do with talent, which Duckworth describes as the factor that is driven by genetic makeup and natural ability. However, skills are also a function of how much effort you put into building skills. Practice builds skills, and practice requires effort. By doing a little algebra, we get to â€" Performance = [TALENT x EFFORT] x EFFORT, which reduces to â€" Performance = TALENT x EFFORT2 What this means is that effort is twice as important as talent when it comes to explaining success. So, if you want to earn that A in a complex math class, rest assured that your commitment to working hard is going to be more important than your “natural” math ability. I cannot underestimate the importance of believing deeply in the power of making small, incremental improvements. These improvements can and do accumulate over time. Before too long, you can become and expert at academic subjects you had previously considered extremely confusing and frustrating to understand.

Eileen Huntington - Entrepreneur Magazines Women to Watch

Eileen Huntington - Entrepreneur Magazine's Women to Watch FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Eileen Huntington, Co-Founder and CEO of Huntington Learning Center, Profiled In Entrepreneur Magazines January 2015 Franchise 500 Issue Oradell, New Jersey December 29, 2014 Huntington Learning Center announces its co-founder and CEO, Eileen Huntington, named by Entrepreneur magazine, as one of three Women to Watch in 2015. The Entrepreneur profile documents Huntington Learning Centers rise to the top of the tutoring and test prep industry, and delves into Eileens leadership style of positivity and high expectations. Under Eileens leadership, Huntington Learning Center has climbed ten spots on Entrepreneurs annual Franchise 500 rankings due to the companys financial strength and stability, growth rate, system size, years in business and low startup costs. This is the eighth year ranked as a Franchise 500 company. Eileen and Ray Huntington opened the first Huntington Learning Center in 1977 when, as Eileen tells Entrepreneur at the time, there was no real tutoring industry there was no model to follow what do we have to lose? That grit and entrepreneurial spirit are the reasons why she is franchisings woman to watch. Today, Eileen, Ray and the entire Huntington team lead the #1 producing tutoring franchise, producing 50% more in revenue than their closest competitor. Huntingtons financial results are a direct result of student performance. In just three months, on average, Huntingtons tutoring students increase 1.2 grade levels in reading and 1 grade level in math. On average, Huntingtons test prep students increase 192 points on the SAT and 4.2 points on the ACT in just 2 months. Huntington began franchising in 1985 and now has over 260 locations across the United States. In 2013, the company changed its franchise model to lower its initial franchise fees. Now, individuals looking to take control of their lives and own their own business can become a franchisee for a total upfront investment of less than $100K. Huntington offers financing options, great flexibility, with part-time startup, and tremendous training and support. Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Eileen shares with Entrepreneur, Were working with children. When a child calls up and says, I got on the honor roll for the first time, you are just over the moon for that. This sums up what Huntington does; it changes lives and helps students achieve their academic goals. Fittingly, Entrepreneur rated the childrens businesses category as the fourth largest sector in its rankings. According to the magazine, From companies that offer preschoolers a head start to tutoring services that help high-schoolers boost SAT scores, franchises are earning high marks by supplementing the traditional education system. Huntington has been named a Top 20 Childrens Services and Education Franchise in Opportunity World magazine, an AllStar Franchise by AllBusiness, a Top 100 Franchise by the World Franchising Network and a Top 50 Franchise for Minorities by the National Minority Franchising Initiative. Huntington is nationally accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Read the full 2015 Franchise 500 ranking at http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500/index.html. About Huntington Learning Center Huntington Learning Center is a tutoring and test prep leader with certified teachers providing individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry and other sciences. Huntington preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams.The skills, confidence, and motivation developed by Huntington helps students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards.Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible.Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. Press Contact Laura Gehringer Director of Marketing and Advertising Huntington Learning Centers, Inc. 496 Kinderkamack Road Oradell, NJ 07649 Phone: 201 957 9431 Email: gehringerl@hlcmail.com