Leveling Up Learning: Our Journey to Canvas for Early College Success

This guest post was written by Jessica Martin, M.Ed., principal at Sacramento New Technology Early College High School in Sacramento, CA. You can find Jessica on LinkedIn.

The Need for Change 

Preparing students for college success requires more than rigorous coursework; it demands systems that seamlessly bridge the gap between high school and higher education. That’s why our school decided to switch to Canvas as our Learning Management System (LMS). As we transition into a fully implemented Early College High School, we must examine our systems and practices closely to ensure they align with the goals of this new opportunity for our students. 

As a project-based learning (PBL) school and a member of the New Tech Network, it has been our practice to use an LMS that supports our ability to give feedback to both students and parents on not only core content standards but also our five learning outcomes: Agency, Collaboration, Oral Communication, Knowledge and Thinking, and Written Communication. A project in a PBL model can span 4–6 weeks, during which students must meet various content standards and demonstrate growth across all learning outcomes. 

While our previous LMS supported these needs, it did not offer seamless alignment with the systems used in higher education. As our early college program has expanded, we have increasingly recognized the importance of helping students navigate college systems effectively, including the LMS widely used by higher education institutions. This realization set the stage for our exploration of Canvas.

Why Canvas? 

Our decision to switch to Canvas was based on a careful assessment of its capabilities compared to our existing LMS. We needed to ensure that Canvas could support the essential functions that our PBL structure requires, such as detailed feedback mechanisms, progress tracking aligned with learning outcomes, and collaboration tools. 

Following several meetings and a demonstration for our teachers, we were impressed by Canvas’s versatility and alignment with higher education systems. Canvas offers robust tools for project management, seamless integration with college systems like Turnitin, and advanced analytics to track content mastery and progress in our learning outcomes. For instance, Canvas’s peer review functionality allows students to evaluate each other’s work, fostering a sense of responsibility and agency, helping them learn to give and receive constructive feedback. Its group tools and discussion boards enhance collaboration. 

The Implementation Journey 

Since mid-January, we have been collaborating closely with our dedicated implementation team, which includes a Customer Success Manager, a Project Consultant, and a Strategic Consultant. Our weekly meetings have been instrumental in guiding us through the transition. The support from this team has been invaluable, ensuring that our teachers and students have a smooth onboarding experience. 

Canvas’s intuitive interface and comprehensive feature set have quickly won over our teachers. As one of our teachers put it, “The transition to Canvas will make aligning our projects with college expectations so much smoother.” This feedback has been encouraging as we continue to navigate the implementation process. 

Preparing Teachers and Students 

Our teachers have already completed their initial training sessions and are actively engaged in setting up their first courses on Canvas. We are planning a soft launch during our 4th Quarter to ensure a smooth transition. This approach will allow our educators to build out their courses and experiment with Canvas’s various functionalities. 

At the same time, our students will have the chance to acclimate to the new system for assignments, projects, and the gradebook. The integration of video tools for presentations will help students improve their Oral Communication skills. At the same time, the analytics dashboard allows them to track their progress toward mastering both content standards and our learning outcomes. 

Looking Ahead 

We are excited about the full implementation launch next fall in the upcoming school year. With Canvas, we are not just aligning our LMS with higher education standards but equipping our students with the skills and confidence they need to thrive in their college courses and beyond. This transition is a significant step forward in fulfilling our commitment to preparing students for success in both high school and college. Our decision to adopt Canvas was driven by a clear vision: to create a seamless learning experience that prepares our students for the realities of college and beyond. With the continued support of our implementation team and the enthusiastic participation of our teachers and students, we are confident that this transition will be a catalyst for even greater success in our Early College High School program. We’re eager to see how this shift to Canvas will continue to support our students’ learning journeys. If you’re considering a similar switch for your school or want to learn more about our journey, feel free to reach out!