The GRiT Results Are In: Why Mindset & Peace Index Scores Matter

I’ll be honest, when I first heard Kurt talk about GRiT, I thought it sounded a lot like the other programs we’d tried. Posters in the hallway. A few lessons during homeroom. Some decent quotes and reflection activities.

But the truth?

None of those changed the way our students functioned in the building. Then I saw what happened when GRiT was actually implemented and I became a believer, not because it sounded good, but because the data was undeniable.

Here’s What We Measured in Our Students

Every educator knows we’re living in a new era of behavior, burnout, and mental health concerns, but most don’t know what to do beyond tightening up expectations.

GRiT gave us a new way in. And then it showed us, in numbers,why it worked.

+15% Growth in Student Mindset

Students began to reframe their thinking. They moved from shutdown to self-reflection. From helpless to problem-solver. From “I can’t” to “I’m learning how.”

+11.09% Increase in Peace Index

The Peace Index is a core GRiT tool that helps students track their inner world—across relationships, purpose, environment, resources, and health. When we focused here, we saw fewer emotional spirals and more grounded decisions.

+2.87% Attendance Increase

Students showed up more, and showed up better. Because when students feel supported internally, the outside behavior follows.

-59.96% Fewer Discipline Referrals

This one stopped me in my tracks. These weren’t small tweaks. This was a transformational change in how students carried themselves, resolved conflict, and regulated emotion.

The Difference? GRiT Doesn’t Just Teach SEL. It Trains Emotional Command.

We’re not handing out feel-good worksheets. We’re using neuroscience, language awareness, journaling, and team tools to repattern how students think, speak, and lead.

GRiT is designed with the CASEL framework in mind, mapped directly to the five competencies:

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Social awareness
• Relationship skills
• Responsible decision-making

But what makes it different is that it actually gets lived out in our classrooms, hallways, and culture.

I’ve Been in Education a Long Time.

And I can tell you, programs come and go.

But when something fundamentally changes the way students relate to themselves and to each other? That sticks, and it started with GRiT. 

Want to See These Results in Your School?

You don’t have to guess if GRiT is a fit. We’ll show you.

Try It First

Use our 4-day plug-and-play sample lesson plan in your current class. Perfect for business, leadership, CTE, or advisory.

Download the free lesson plan here

Go All In

Bring GRiT to your building as a full relational intelligence course. We’ll train your Lead Learner, provide every tool, and help you track results.

Book a 1:1 call with Kurt — he’s the original creator of GRiT, and still teaches it today.