
Deeper Learning
Understanding how students learn—and helping them become effective, independent, and lifelong learners—is central to fulfilling Graded’s mission.
Over the past several years, research in the science of learning has advanced rapidly. Educators are now increasingly applying these findings in the classroom, using evidence-based practices that deepen learning and improve student outcomes. Insights into how the brain learns provide powerful guidance for both teaching and learning.
In their book In Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to Remake the American High School, Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine define deeper learning as the intersection of mastery, identity, and creativity. Graded has embraced this framework as a guiding philosophy for teaching and learning.
Our approach is grounded in the belief that deep, meaningful, and lasting learning occurs when students experience a strong sense of belonging, purpose, autonomy, and motivation. By intentionally creating these conditions, we help students develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to thrive in school and beyond.
Through ongoing professional learning, our faculty engage with research-based cognitive learning strategies and regularly reflect on their instructional practice. This commitment enables us to create learning experiences that are meaningful, enduring, and transferable—empowering every Graded student to reach their full potential.
Related Reading
- A School’s Commitment to Deeper Learning by Shauna Hobbs (ISS NewsLinks, October 2021)
- Shifting into Deeper Learning by Mary Davenport (Edutopia, October 2021)
- A School’s Commitment to Deeper Learning by Shauna Hobbs (in partnership with ExploElevate, July 2021)
- Digging Deep: A Path to Meaningful Learning by Shannon Beckley (March 2021)
- The Science of Learning by Richard Boerner (May 2019)