Transcend’s Leaps toward Extraordinary Learning for All describe the key ways we believe the student experience must change so that every young person can maximize their potential and contribute positively to society now and in the future.

These Leaps can help schools move from experiences that often leave young people disconnected and struggling to engaging experiences that prepare young people for life in the 21st century.

Industrial-Era Learning
Extraordinary Learning
Industrial-Era Learning
Varied Expectations & Opportunities
Extraordinary Learning
High Expectations with Unlimited Opportunities
Industrial-Era Learning
Varied Expectations & Opportunities
The expectations and opportunities learners experience are determined at a young age and are modest for most, high for some, and disproportionately low for others.
Extraordinary Learning
High Expectations with Unlimited Opportunities
All learners experience a deep belief in their ability to achieve at high levels and have access to opportunities that help them succeed.
Industrial-Era Learning
Narrow Focus
Extraordinary Learning
Whole-Child Focus
Industrial-Era Learning
Narrow Focus
Learners engage in experiences focused primarily on the cognitive dimension of learning.
Extraordinary Learning
Whole-Child Focus
Learners engage in experiences that nurture their minds, bodies, and feelings, reflecting the complex factors that support learning and development.
Industrial-Era Learning
Surface-Level Learning
Extraordinary Learning
Rigorous Learning
Industrial-Era Learning
Surface-Level Learning
Learners engage in mostly rote, lower-order tasks focused on a broad array of content and are assessed primarily on their ability to recall and explain this information.
Extraordinary Learning
Rigorous Learning
Learners use a range of thinking skills to make meaning of complex ideas and are assessed on their ability to recall and explain information as well as to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create with it across contexts.
Industrial-Era Learning
Irrelevance
Extraordinary Learning
Relevance
Industrial-Era Learning
Irrelevance
Learning is disconnected from young people’s current lives, interests, and goals, as well as a larger, long-term purpose that matters to them.
Extraordinary Learning
Relevance
Learning supports young people’s interests and goals, builds on their prior knowledge and skills, and enables them to tackle personally meaningful, real-world activities.
Industrial-Era Learning
Conformity
Extraordinary Learning
Belonging
Industrial-Era Learning
Conformity
Learners have little opportunity to explore and express themselves; instead, they feel pressure to fit in and be like others.
Extraordinary Learning
Belonging
Learners feel safe and appreciated for who they are while embracing and celebrating others’ uniqueness.
Industrial-Era Learning
Civic & Social Disengagement
Extraordinary Learning
Civic & Social Engagement
Industrial-Era Learning
Civic & Social Disengagement
Learners are exposed to a narrow range of perspectives and have limited opportunities to explore topics that are important to their local and global community, discuss potential improvements, and take action.
Extraordinary Learning
Civic & Social Engagement
Learners examine topics from many perspectives and engage with these topics in constructive ways that support improvements to the world.
Industrial-Era Learning
Isolation
Extraordinary Learning
Connection & Community
Industrial-Era Learning
Isolation
Relationships are not prioritized; learners and adults work together in the same space, but often without knowing one another deeply, and teaching and learning approaches prioritize independent work and competition.
Extraordinary Learning
Connection & Community
The environment is relationship-rich; learners are deeply known and respected by adults and peers, collaborate closely, and form meaningful relationships with a wide range of people.
Industrial-Era Learning
Inflexible Systems
Extraordinary Learning
Customization
Industrial-Era Learning
Inflexible Systems
Learning is one-size-fits-all; everyone experiences the same content and activities at the same pace—holding some learners back from more advanced content and activities and leaving others behind.
Extraordinary Learning
Customization
The focus, pace, and sequence of learning, as well as the resources and supports provided, are tailored to each learner’s development, ensuring that everyone has what they need to be successful.
Industrial-Era Learning
Passive Compliance
Extraordinary Learning
Active Self-Direction
Industrial-Era Learning
Passive Compliance
Learners are expected to passively absorb the knowledge, skills, mindsets, and behaviors modeled and taught by adults and are pushed to comply with rules and routines developed for them through extrinsic rewards and punitive consequences.
Extraordinary Learning
Active Self-Direction
Young people drive their learning; they participate in decisions about how, when, where, and what they learn in meaningful and developmentally appropriate ways.
Industrial-Era Learning
Siloed Schooling
Extraordinary Learning
Anytime, Anywhere Learning
Industrial-Era Learning
Siloed Schooling
Learning is largely confined to a single physical space with a fixed schedule, and teachers take on all, or most of, the responsibility for educating young people.
Extraordinary Learning
Anytime, Anywhere Learning
Learning can happen at any place or time and values the people, contexts, and experiences that play important educational roles in young people’s lives.