Shaped by our partners: New updates advance the Whole Student System

We believe every student deserves a learning experience that nurtures both their academic and personal growth.

This past fall, we introduced the initial version of our Whole Student System, which included a new Gradient Learning platform built on Canvas that provides our partner schools with access to high-quality instructional materials and more. 

Since then, in our commitment to continuous improvement, we've been diligently listening to your feedback and working closely with educators to identify areas to enrich. The insights shared from our partners have been invaluable, guiding us in prioritizing enhancements that will have the most significant impact on whole student learning and the teacher and student experiences.

Our goal throughout this process is to create an environment where students not only master core subjects but also develop essential life skills they need to have a strong sense of self, a greater ability to learn, and better life outcomes.

Strengthening student connections

We're thrilled to introduce the Gradient Student Check-in Tool. We are building this powerful new feature on our learning platform to allow educators and parents to easily track a student’s progress, identify areas of need, and set meaningful goals together. 

The check-in tool can also play a pivotal role in supporting mentoring. A dedicated adult mentor can monitor their mentee’s progress and use the information to reflect and spark meaningful goal-setting. Educators can also create mentor groups by using the tool. 

Starting next academic year, we are also excited about offering our partners platform access to Along, our innovative tool that fosters deeper student-teacher connections through engaging conversations. By using curated questions aligned with our Whole Student Outcomes, teachers can guide students in developing crucial life skills while building strong rapport.

Streamlined experiences

We’re also excited to offer a streamlined grading process resulting from a recent update by Canvas that will make it easier for teachers to provide timely and meaningful feedback. With a more intuitive interface and faster tools, our teachers will be able to spend more time focusing on supporting their students and doing what they do best.

Starting in May, teachers will have access to the upcoming school year's courses, allowing more time for customization and planning. This proactive approach empowers teachers to prepare effectively and ensure a smooth start to the next academic year.

We are also working on a more streamlined student experience for several of our English Language Arts and Science courses, further enriching our curriculum library and providing a comprehensive learning experience for all students. And, we’re making significant improvements to our course navigation to make it easier for teachers to find planning materials. 

Our Whole Student Dashboard is also being enhanced to provide clearer and more insightful data visualizations, helping educators understand student progress and make data-informed decisions to support individual student needs. The dashboard, which is unique to Gradient Learning, measures both academics and our five Whole Student outcomes. It allows educators to monitor how students are doing with course averages, platform submission, curriculum outcomes, Whole Student outcomes, and more.

Looking ahead

These are just some of the updates that represent significant strides in our ongoing commitment to continuously improve and provide our schools with the best tools and resources that deliver Whole Student education. Throughout the spring, we’ll continue to gather input from educators and run pilots to prioritize platform updates for the next school year. We believe true success comes from a strong partnership between educators, students, caregivers, and our various communities. 

Together, we can create a learning environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive academically and personally.