Gradient Learning believes every student is a multifaceted, unique individual. As such, they aim to support educators in providing a holistic education that equips students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet their full potential and lead fulfilled lives long after they graduate. Gradient Learning calls this whole student education.
To grow as whole people, students must develop both academic prowess in core subjects and a range of competencies they will need to flourish in our dynamic 21st-century world. In the Whole Student System, students receive rigorous, relevant instruction on grade-level material and differentiation based on their unique needs. Adapted from the Summit Learning program, the Whole Student System is the latest iteration from Gradient Learning that also enables students to build and maintain strong relationships with their teachers through mentorship and have regular opportunities to set goals and reflect on their progress.
The Whole Student System—which is provided at no cost to schools—brings together a customized learning platform and vetted curriculum as well as educator resources and coaching for continuous improvement, to provide a cohesive approach and make whole student education a reality. Gradient Learning has supported more than 160 schools in 46 states and the District of Columbia, reaching over 33,000 students, and offers partnership to implement the model in your school community. The Whole Student System Overview
What Makes This Model Innovative?
Customization
Rigorous Learning
Active Self-Direction
Related Models
Modern Classrooms Project
Modern Classrooms Project empowers educators to meet every learner’s needs through its blended, self-paced, mastery-based instructional model.
Modern Classrooms Project
Modern Classrooms Project empowers educators with their innovative instructional model to ensure all learners are appropriately challenged and supported every day. The instructional model has three components: blended instruction, self-pacing, and mastery-based learning. Implementation of the model fosters strong learner–teacher relationships, builds critical learning strategies that underpin self-direction, increases confidence and love of learning, and increases content mastery. The model also leverages technology and is best implemented in contexts where educators have support to innovate and reimagine instruction.
Modern Classrooms Project has reached over 53,000 educators in 169 countries. In order to support implementation, they offer resource toolkits, professional development, one-on-one coaching and consulting, and cohort learning communities, to equip educators with the skills, resources, and community required to sustain and improve upon this customized instructional approach. Modern Classrooms Project Podcast Excellence in Classroom Innovation
Core 3
Navigator Schools’ Core 3 is an adult coaching model that provides schools with practical tools and routines for building strong classroom culture, increasing academic rigor, and using data effectively.
Core 3
The Core 3 model can act as an invaluable training playbook for schools looking to strengthen adult practices around three core areas: classroom culture, academic rigor, and data use. In this model, leaders are coached through a two-year implementation journey to transform their teachers’ academic practices to strengthen students’ sense of belonging in the classroom, improve their academic outcomes and engagement, and provide more personalized learning through the use and analysis of real-time data. Core 3 occurs through replicable training modules that can be integrated into almost any learning environment.
Currently, the Core 3 model reaches about 2,800 students across two Navigator schools and nine partner schools. Navigator Learning offers coaching and implementation support for leaders seeking to improve their school’s Core 3 priorities. The model also offers regular workshops and videoconferencing to build academic leadership capacity in these three areas.
Goals
Gradient Learning’s Whole Student System fosters student behaviors, mindsets, and dispositions that support well-being, a sense of purpose, and a stronger understanding of themselves and the world.
Content Knowledge & Cognitive Skills
Learners master content knowledge and transferable thinking skills for success in school and life.
Curiosity
Students thoughtfully critique themselves and the world around them.
Self-Direction
Students optimistically and skillfully pursue goals and solve problems.
Agency
Students make decisions and act individually and collectively for themselves, others, and the world.
Resilience
Students recover and adapt when faced with challenges.
Purpose
Students create long-term, forward-looking intentions and paths that drive toward action and a meaningful life.
Experience
Gradient Learning’s Whole Student System combines high-quality, whole-student-aligned curricula on their Customized Learning Platform with Whole Student Instructional practices, self-monitoring, and mentorship to foster the five prioritized whole student outcomes (curiosity, self-direction, agency, resilience, and purpose).
The Whole Student System can be implemented in various subjects (ELA, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) for grades 4–12, leveraging HQIM from vetted curriculum providers. Each curriculum’s design is shaped by subject-specific learning science and research-driven best practices in terms of how students learn the material best. Therefore, the flow of lessons and the student experience varies across grades, subjects, and curricula.
Students access lessons on the Gradient Learning Customized Learning Platform. While the curriculum content and student activities vary, all curricula on the platform adhere to learner-centered, constructivist practices and therefore include common elements. This includes:
- Rigorous low-floor and high-ceiling tasks
- Many opportunities for student collaboration and discourse
- Flexible and robust assessment design
Teachers are also encouraged and supported to differentiate learning for students based on need and interest.
The whole student practices are not implemented in isolation but are cross-cutting principles integrated throughout the experience. Whole Student Instructional Practices The practices are:
- Make learning relevant
- Elevate wonder and awe
- Maximize shared sense-making
- Build comfort with uncertainty
- Prize growth over mastery
- Offer choice
- Invite and guide reflection
- Normalize vulnerability
Gradient Learning supports educators in understanding and making connections between how each curriculum naturally leverages these practices. It also helps them develop the ability to mediate or augment the curriculum by leveraging the practices in new and meaningful ways, allowing teachers to become the mediator of the curriculum and amplify its whole student impact.
The Gradient Learning platform is a one-stop shop for students to see their grades, take assessments, communicate with their teachers, and more.
- Most quizzes allow for instant feedback – students know what problems they missed.
- Students can see feedback, grades, and missing assignments all in one place.
- Teachers provide feedback to students in a variety of ways.
- Teachers communicate digitally with students as needed.
- Student progress is measured and recorded.
Mentorship, an optional but encouraged component of the Whole Student System, fosters strong teacher-student connections. Students at schools that choose to implement mentorship get one-on-one support from a trusted adult.
- Teachers provide individualized support, make suggestions on goals and next steps, and provide critical and thoughtful feedback as students reflect on their learning processes.
- Teachers leverage the five whole student outcomes to motivate learners into self-directed learning.
- Students engage in reflection, academic short- and long-term planning, and goal-setting toward the five whole student outcomes.
In the same way that students and teachers can access all materials for core classes on the Customized Learning Platform, they can also access the resources they need for mentorship. These include:
- A mentoring course that guides teachers to create the mentoring experience they want for students
- Check-in tracker and agenda templates
- Information about students across their courses in custom whole student data reports.
Supporting Structures
Schools can implement the Whole Student System into their existing design with shifts to some structures such as to their curriculum, adult roles, and technology.
Schools must implement at least one of the vetted curricula on Gradient Learning’s Whole Student System.
Gradient Learning believes rigorous, content-rich curricula are foundational to achieving whole student outcomes. As such, they require curriculum adoption in at least one subject in the first year.
The Customized Learning Platform includes high-quality, whole student–aligned curricula across ELA, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. All curricula are provided by vetted external providers, including Illustrative Math, OpenSciEd, and OER Project. Curriculum Overview
The model works best when schools are aligned on a whole student vision and are committed to continuous improvement toward realizing that vision.
Leaders, teachers, families, and students must be invested in the whole student vision and in fostering the five whole student outcomes.
Leaders are integral to setting and sustaining the conditions that allow educators in the classroom to promote whole student education. Leaders need to build a common purpose and understanding for their whole student vision as they manage change and promote a collaborative whole student culture. School leadership teams should also be committed to teacher support and learning.
School leaders and teachers need to engage in coaching and training for successful implementation.
School leaders receive ongoing coaching to support them in customizing the program to meet their school needs. Gradient Learning coaches provide direction on change management, instructional leadership, and implementation. Coaches meet weekly with school leaders to help support and talk about the specific barriers their teachers may face and help design the right solutions to address those barriers—allowing leaders to continuously improve toward their school’s ultimate vision.
Teachers engage in in-person professional development at key points in their implementation journey. Teachers also have access to various resources on the platform to support implementation, including:
- Curriculum adoption resources and trainings
- New whole student instructional practices
- Tools, resources, asynchronous training, and data dashboards to understand student progress, differentiate content, mentor students, and take a pulse on their students’ growth in life skills
Gradient Learning offers professional development training as well as access to the Innovation Hub, a community of like-minded educators working toward whole student outcomes. While all professional development events are considered part of the required program experience, educators may opt-in to additional development experiences through the Innovation Hub.
Families and caregivers can access the Customized Learning Platform and are encouraged to monitor students’ academic progress.
Gradient Learning’s platform allows parent access, providing parents and caregivers a view of their students’ academic progress (e.g., grades and feedback) and tasks (e.g., homework and assessments) in real time. This helps to maintain constant and accessible communication throughout the school year. This family–teacher–student communication is integral to the overall success of the model.
Gradient Learning’s Customized Learning Platform is key to the model. Students must have access to the platform via laptop, portable device, or computer lab.
Gradient Learning’s Customized Learning Platform, built with Canvas, brings together curricula, data, and educator resources. Customized Learning Platform Browser and computer requirements
Within the platform, educators can:
- Differentiate learning for students based on need and interest
- Provide feedback to students in multiple ways
- Communicate digitally with students as needed
- Measure and monitor student progress and create custom data visualizations Custom Data Visualizations
- Access curated resources.
Gradient Learning also offers digital tools, like Along, that allow teachers to check in with and prompt reflections from their students more authentically and throughout the school day. Along
Gradient Learning’s Whole Student System is available for free for schools and districts.
Gradient Learning offers their Whole Student System for free for site-based schools located in the United States (home schools and online schools are ineligible). The school must serve students in grades 4 through 12. While the program is free, Gradient Learning has a thorough application and enrollment process that ensures successful partnerships.
Schools engage in continuous improvement cycles with the support of a dedicated Gradient Learning coach.
Continuous improvement cycles to drive high-quality implementation are core to the Whole Student System approach. Schools meet regularly with their dedicated Gradient Learning coach, who provides direction on change management, instructional leadership, and implementation. Coaches help build school and district leader capacity while offering support to help them make continuous improvements to classroom practices.
Schools must implement at least one of the vetted curricula on Gradient Learning’s Whole Student System.
Gradient Learning believes rigorous, content-rich curricula are foundational to achieving whole student outcomes. As such, they require curriculum adoption in at least one subject in the first year.
The Customized Learning Platform includes high-quality, whole student–aligned curricula across ELA, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. All curricula are provided by vetted external providers, including Illustrative Math, OpenSciEd, and OER Project. Curriculum Overview
The model works best when schools are aligned on a whole student vision and are committed to continuous improvement toward realizing that vision.
Leaders, teachers, families, and students must be invested in the whole student vision and in fostering the five whole student outcomes.
Leaders are integral to setting and sustaining the conditions that allow educators in the classroom to promote whole student education. Leaders need to build a common purpose and understanding for their whole student vision as they manage change and promote a collaborative whole student culture. School leadership teams should also be committed to teacher support and learning.
School leaders and teachers need to engage in coaching and training for successful implementation.
School leaders receive ongoing coaching to support them in customizing the program to meet their school needs. Gradient Learning coaches provide direction on change management, instructional leadership, and implementation. Coaches meet weekly with school leaders to help support and talk about the specific barriers their teachers may face and help design the right solutions to address those barriers—allowing leaders to continuously improve toward their school’s ultimate vision.
Teachers engage in in-person professional development at key points in their implementation journey. Teachers also have access to various resources on the platform to support implementation, including:
- Curriculum adoption resources and trainings
- New whole student instructional practices
- Tools, resources, asynchronous training, and data dashboards to understand student progress, differentiate content, mentor students, and take a pulse on their students’ growth in life skills
Gradient Learning offers professional development training as well as access to the Innovation Hub, a community of like-minded educators working toward whole student outcomes. While all professional development events are considered part of the required program experience, educators may opt-in to additional development experiences through the Innovation Hub.
Families and caregivers can access the Customized Learning Platform and are encouraged to monitor students’ academic progress.
Gradient Learning’s platform allows parent access, providing parents and caregivers a view of their students’ academic progress (e.g., grades and feedback) and tasks (e.g., homework and assessments) in real time. This helps to maintain constant and accessible communication throughout the school year. This family–teacher–student communication is integral to the overall success of the model.
Gradient Learning’s Customized Learning Platform is key to the model. Students must have access to the platform via laptop, portable device, or computer lab.
Gradient Learning’s Customized Learning Platform, built with Canvas, brings together curricula, data, and educator resources. Customized Learning Platform Browser and computer requirements
Within the platform, educators can:
- Differentiate learning for students based on need and interest
- Provide feedback to students in multiple ways
- Communicate digitally with students as needed
- Measure and monitor student progress and create custom data visualizations Custom Data Visualizations
- Access curated resources.
Gradient Learning also offers digital tools, like Along, that allow teachers to check in with and prompt reflections from their students more authentically and throughout the school day. Along
Gradient Learning’s Whole Student System is available for free for schools and districts.
Gradient Learning offers their Whole Student System for free for site-based schools located in the United States (home schools and online schools are ineligible). The school must serve students in grades 4 through 12. While the program is free, Gradient Learning has a thorough application and enrollment process that ensures successful partnerships.
Schools engage in continuous improvement cycles with the support of a dedicated Gradient Learning coach.
Continuous improvement cycles to drive high-quality implementation are core to the Whole Student System approach. Schools meet regularly with their dedicated Gradient Learning coach, who provides direction on change management, instructional leadership, and implementation. Coaches help build school and district leader capacity while offering support to help them make continuous improvements to classroom practices.
Supports Offered
Gradient Learning offers the following supports to help you implement the Whole Student System.
Gradient Learning is committed to equity and strategically builds relationships with educators from schools with priority populations of students, namely those historically underserved by our education system, such as students who are Black or Latinx and students who receive Free and Reduced Lunch.
Gradient Learning Partnership
Free
Schools that are interested in the model can partner with Gradient Learning for a comprehensive approach to learning and teaching that includes:
- Access to the Gradient Learning platform and the included curricula, instructional materials, and assessment supports Student Experience Preview of the Customized Learning Platform
- In-person professional development training at key points in their implementation journey
- One-on-one coaching and ongoing implementation support from a dedicated coach, an expert in guiding schools hands-on toward effective implementation of Gradient Learning
Reach
Demonstration Sites
The following sites are examples of learning communities that have successfully implemented the model.
Pathways Middle College
Oklahoma City, OK
9-12
Charter
Greeley-Evans School District 6
Greeley, CO
K-12
Traditional District
Frankfort Independent Schools
Frankfort, KY
K-12
Traditional District
Impact
While the Whole Student System is still new, its previous iteration—Summit Learning—has a strong record of positive impact on student academic success and engagement.
Students who participate in Summit Learning demonstrate improved Math and ELA achievement and report an increase in key cognitive thinking skills.
- Evans Colorado Middle School in Prairie Heights went from turnaround school to top-performing school within a matter of a few years with the implementation of Summit Learning. State assessments show a dramatic rise
- Research and case studies suggest that students increased their Math and ELA test scores over a two-year implementation period. Summit Learning Evaluation Report
- Students and teachers reported an increase in students’ cognitive skills, including the ability to analyze, synthesize, solve problems, and effectively navigate complex information (Summit Learning Evaluation Report). Summit Learning Teacher Feedback Study
Students who participate in Summit Learning also tend to report feeling more confident, invested in their learning, and connected with others.
- Students, teachers, and school leaders reported an increase in students’ positive personal and interpersonal skills, such as collaboration, confidence, awareness of learning needs, and asking for help (Summit Learning Evaluation Report; Summit Learning Teacher Feedback Study). 10 School Case Study of Summit Learning
- Teachers and school leaders reported stronger student–teacher relationships from mentorship (Summit Learning Teacher Feedback Study; 10 School Case Study of Summit Learning).
- Some students reported feeling more accepted in school (Summit Learning Evaluation Report).
- Students reported feeling that content was more relevant to their lives (Summit Learning Teacher Feedback Study).
- Summit teachers and leaders reported that students became more invested in their own learning (Summit Learning Teacher Feedback Study; 10 School Case Study of Summit Learning).
- 73% of Summit teachers said that their students were more engaged in learning because of the Summit Learning approach in their classroom. A Study in Innovative Teaching Practices
- Summit Learning promoted the development of non-cognitive skills, including independence, communication, collaboration, confidence, awareness of learning needs, and the ability to get help when needed. Higher scores, more positive classroom experiences
Teachers who use Summit Learning tend to report that they feel like better instructors who can use data-driven practices, develop stronger relationships with their students, and mentor them toward improved academic performance.
- Of 1,418 Summit teachers surveyed nationwide, 65% reported that they believe they improved their instruction because of Summit Learning (Summit Learning Teacher Feedback Study).
- Summit Learning teachers and leaders reported more comfortability with technology-enabled instruction and improved data-driven practices (Summit Learning Teacher Feedback Study; 10 School Case Study of Summit Learning).
- With almost unanimity, 96% of Summit Learning school leaders said that their school’s success this year in meeting student achievement goals was positively impacted by the mentoring program (A Study in Innovative Teaching Practices).