Our next chapter
Gradient Learning was founded by educators who believed all students should be prepared for success in school and life. We have worked with hundreds of schools across the country to implement a program that supports the development of the whole student. Our collaborative partnerships demonstrate that educators working with educators can ignite a movement to reimagine education for the future.
Expanding the scale and impact of this work is more important than ever. After much deliberation with our board, we are pleased to share that the future of the Gradient Learning program will move to a new home at Transcend, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting schools and systems to create extraordinary experiences and outcomes for all students. Transcend brings the expertise to take our program to the next level, as well as the ability to amplify a community of education innovators working for lasting change. While Gradient Learning as an independent organization will wind down later this year, we are grateful that our work to make whole-student education a reality will have a strong path from here.
From the beginning, our partnerships with schools focused on meeting educators where they are and supporting their vision with comprehensive coaching, high-quality instructional materials, professional development, and innovative instructional tools. Our programs have reached more than 250,000 students in 46 states and Washington, D.C, and our team has provided more than half a million hours of professional development to educators.
As the needs of schools changed, our Gradient Learning program evolved to include high-quality instructional materials, best-in-class resources, and tools, such as new dashboards to track student development, combined with a dedicated coach to help school leaders apply the program’s components in their unique context.
Today, schools and districts face an increasingly challenging and complex environment. To continue to meet schools where they are, the program needs additional capabilities to innovate and scale its impact. Over the past couple of months, our board and executive director reviewed a range of options for the organization. Transcend’s innovative approach and extensive partnerships with schools across the country make it the right new home for the Gradient Learning program.
For more than a decade, Transcend has partnered with school communities and districts to create and spread extraordinary learning for all. Transcend’s expertise in R&D, community-based design, and program scaling complements Gradient’s focus on improving the instructional core. What’s more, Gradient and Transcend are mission- and values-aligned. Both organizations share a holistic approach to education that helps all children reach their full potential and a commitment to effective instructional design and student experience.
As we move forward, we want to express our gratitude to all of our school partners. You invited us into your communities and entrusted us to support your vision for whole student learning. We are working to ensure a smooth transition over the next few months. For the remainder of the 2025-26 school year, schools will continue to receive tools, coaching, and other supports. In addition, all current Gradient schools will have the opportunity to continue to participate in the program for the 2026-27 school year. Over time with Transcend, schools will also have the opportunity to explore a broader range of supports for community-based design and innovation, alongside a growing network of education leaders dedicated to extraordinary learning for all students.
Also, the Along product will no longer be available in the upcoming 2026-27 school year, but we are working to make the research-aligned prompts available. While Along has been impactful in schools, educators have shared that it has been difficult to add another tool and workflow to engage students.
The Gradient Learning program made an indelible impact on teachers and students across the country. Our partner schools have shown how educators can collaborate around a shared vision for whole student education. With Transcend, the program will continue to evolve and grow. We are optimistic about this next chapter, and we continue to be inspired by the movement of educators, parents, and communities working to reimagine education.
Gradient Learning Team