District Announces 'Wallingford 100': A Program Focused on Nurturing a Mindset in Education

Wallingford school officials are hoping to get students into a different mindset and are enlisting the help of the entire community to make that happen.

On Monday they kicked off the effort — "Wallingford 100," with the goal of 100 percent of students invested in their education, engaged in the academic process and graduating from high school.

"This is the first step in the process," Superintendent of Schools Salvatore Menzo told the crowd who gathered at Lyman Hall High School to hear about the heart of the program — the book "Mindset," which details how a student's mindset can play a large role in their academic success.

The book was written by Dr. Carol Dweck, a Stanford professor who specializes in the field of student motivation. Dweck spoke to the group via Skype about how they can use her theories to transform students from underperforming to successful.

Some students have the belief that they have a certain amount of intelligence and talent — a "fixed" mindset, Dweck said, while others believe they can develop abilities throughout their lives — a "growth" mindset.

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Those with a fixed mindset believe if they are not successful it's because they lack the ability to do so, she said, and won't take risks to achieve success. But those with a growth mindset see failure as a learning experience and will continue to strive to succeed, she said.

The key is to change the fixed mindset to a growth mindset, she said, which results in not only better academic success, but a decrease in aggressive and violent tendencies.

To do that, the community must work together — students, educators, parents and all members of the community, Dweck said. Parents need to learn how best to foster a growth mindset in their children, she said, including praising them for their efforts rather than just their successes.

Monday's meeting was the first of a series to launch the Wallingford 100 project. On March 20, FoxCT television news anchor Al Terzi will lead a discussion on building core values for the community. That takes place at 5:30 p.m. at Lyman Hall High School.

The next day, March 21, a discussion on the book will be held at 7 p.m. at the Wallingford Public Library, and a final workshop with the Wallingford Early Childhood Alliance Resource and Education will take place March 27 at 6:30 p.m., also at the Wallingford Public Library. The public is invited to all of the events.