From care to achievement: How Columbia High School boosted scores and attendance

Overall student attendance at Columbia High School was at

94%

after being in the 80s the year before, meaning more students are benefiting from daily instruction.

Columbia High School's math scores on the ISAT assessment improved

11%

from the previous year, a substantial increase in a critical subject area.

For Principal Cory Woolstenhulme of Columbia High School in Nampa, Idaho, the school's journey of transformation can be summed up simply.

“In one word, it’s care,” Woolstenhulme said. “We care enough to have high expectations. We care enough to have systems that are robust and working. We care about each and every one of our students.”

Columbia’s long-standing partnership of nearly a decade with Gradient Learning has empowered its community to build a culture of care that is backed by high academic expectations and measurable success:

Academic achievement surges: For the first time, Columbia scored above the state average on the external 2025 Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) assessment. This milestone is a critical external validation of the school's instructional rigor and systemic success.

Targeted math growth: In a reflection of strong, targeted gains in a critical subject area, math scores on the ISAT assessment had a substantial 11% increase from the previous year.

Student engagement and health: A key metric for engagement, overall student attendance climbed from the upper 80s to a strong 94%, meaning more students are consistently benefiting from daily instruction.

Community trust: The community has responded positively, with Woolstenhulme noting “a significant increase” in open enrollment applications to Columbia. 

Opportunities for growth

Woolstenhulme said he and his staff have made it a point in recent years to view any challenges as opportunities for growth. This mindset shift has led to a deliberate, whole-school strategy focused on whole-student learning.

The model represents a clear, foundational shift from teacher-centric instruction to a student-centered environment. The high-quality instructional materials (IM® v.360, OpenSciEd, Odell Education) provided through the Gradient platform embed strategies that promote collaboration, interaction, and sense-making across all content areas, ensuring that the student voice is central to the learning experience.

This culture of care is reinforced by what he calls the "Columbia Family" concept, where leaders are intentional about connecting personally with students. Woolstenhulme, a father of six, lives out this culture daily. Along with his leadership duties, he teaches a class and serves as a dedicated mentor to several students. This helps him stay connected to the mission.

"I honestly need to do it and I love doing it each year,” he said. “Otherwise, with the nature of being an administrator, you start to lose touch."

'We're always working together'

Woolstenhulme attributes the sustained holistic growth of Columbia over the last few years to the considerate and dedicated partnership with Gradient Learning. In particular, he credits the long-term relationship with Reem Cook, a Leader Coach at Gradient. 

“She understands what it means to be a school leader because she’s been one," Woolstenhulme said of Cook. “She pushes us when she needs to, and then other times she'll back off. We’re always working together.”

Woolstenhulme acknowledged that implementing innovative systems can be challenging—or "messy"—but he strongly believes the process of working through challenges with peers is vital for long-term success.

“To me, messy means exploratory,” Woolstenhulme said. “It means we’re going to go and figure this out together. This leads to a lot of confidence at the end.” 

By leveraging its supportive partnership with Gradient Learning and emphasizing care, Columbia High School has created a community where high expectations have led to strong whole-student outcomes.