Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Instructional Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board briefed on switch from Gradient to Transcend; Canvas and core materials remain available
Summary
School leaders told the board that the district’s existing learning-management software (Canvas) and vetted instructional materials will continue to be available after Gradient’s parent organization becomes part of the nonprofit Transcend; Transcend will offer optional add‑on services that the district can accept, customize, or decline.
Karen, speaking at the start of the work session, told the board that the district’s relationship with the Summit Learning/Gradient platform is changing because Gradient has become part of a larger nonprofit, Transcend.
Karen said the practical effect for Woodland Park is limited immediately: “it’s still free to us,” and the district will retain Canvas as the learning‑management system and continue to have access to high‑quality instructional materials and coaching. She described Transcend as a portfolio organization that can offer additional services — for example, community design groups, curriculum packages and coaching — but said the district can choose which, if any, of those add‑ons to use.
Board members asked whether students or teachers would see immediate changes. Karen said staff and students might notice interface and minor workflow updates, and that teachers could choose whether to accept new features or remain on their existing setup. She said coaching support will continue through the district’s coach (Alex), who “meets monthly” and will keep working with building leaders and sometimes visit classrooms.
On curriculum, board members pressed for clarity about standards alignment and options. Karen said Transcend is testing curricular materials such as an I Civics package for middle grades and that any new offerings would be evaluated against Colorado state standards; the board would be involved in final adoption decisions and community review processes.
The board also discussed implementation logistics: staff said Transcend will help migrate certain vetted materials into Canvas and that teachers who have custom, long‑standing assignments can continue to use them in the LMS. Karen emphasized the district's intent to be deliberate and to involve community and staff in decisions rather than making wholesale changes quickly.
Next steps: staff will continue evaluations, share informational links with the board, and bring options for community review before any larger curricular shifts are adopted.
