“We’ll never stop building those relationships”
When Jason Bryant walks the halls of his school each day, he’s inspired by a vibrant community that is purpose-built for learning.
Bryant, the principal at King Middle School in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, is a firm believer in giving each of his students a feeling of connection with their peers and their teachers. The key to doing so, Bryant said, is placing a year-long emphasis on the whole student and helping each of them grow and thrive in their unique ways.
“To me, teaching the whole student just means maximum support for our kids,” Bryant said. “If they know their teachers really care about them, they will run through a wall for you. That’s what we’ve seen here and why we’ll never stop building those productive relationships that help us really set expectations high for our kids.”
Whole Student learning ensures educators teach their students both academics and life skills. By addressing both simultaneously—and not forcing teachers to choose between the two—this ensures students receive an education that prepares them for success and fulfillment beyond the classroom.
“When I think about Whole Student, it’s really about building a sense of community and creating a sense of belonging in our classrooms."
But not all schools have the resources and tools to make this possible. That’s why Bryant grows more excited about the future of King Middle School’s community the more he learns and understands Gradient Learning’s vision for Whole Student education.
Over the past decade, Gradient Learning has walked alongside its partner schools, such as King Middle School, to improve student outcomes. Our program brings a curated and integrated set of research-based tools and resources, plus a skilled coach, to help all schools develop and reach their Whole Student learning goals.
Gradient Learning’s Whole Student System brings together everything educators need in a single, cohesive approach to deliver on the promise of setting students up for success in all aspects of their lives.
At King Middle School, Bryant is grateful for the regular conversations he has with Geoff Osmun, a Leader Coach at Gradient Learning. The close partnership between Osmun and King Middle School’s leadership team helps Bryant feel connected and acutely aware of his school’s progress toward short- and long-term goals.
“Geoff has done a really good job at keeping us focused on achievement and pushing us on best practices,” Bryant said. “He’s laser-focused on what matters and he pushes us to always look at things differently. And he’s always using research-based instructional strategies, and helping us look at data. Our work with him really helps us know what to look for in our observations of classrooms and how we give feedback to our teachers.”
In all aspects of our robust Whole Student System, an emphasis is placed on the important role that teachers play in helping students grow academically, emotionally, and cognitively.
“When I think about Whole Student, it’s really about building a sense of community and creating a sense of belonging in our classrooms,” said Jessica Cooney, principal at Prairie Heights Middle School in Greeley, Colorado. “It’s about so much more than just learning content. It’s about truly helping our students belong in our school.”
Cooney embraces the diverse backgrounds of students, schools, and the communities of families and caregivers. And she believes strong collaboration between educators across the country can help them all achieve similar Whole Student outcomes.
“My hope for the future of education is that one day our schools will have everything they need to ensure that all of our students can be successful,” Cooney said. “I hope that all schools will one day realize that our students’ diverse backgrounds and lived experiences are exactly what makes our schools special, strong, and unique.”
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