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Ascend is transforming public education one student one classroom one school at a time

Learn about our model
We aim for urban public schools to be a place where all students can reach their full potential.
Ascend has developed and refined a flexible, whole-child approach to teaching and learning to increase academic and social-emotional outcomes for our highest-need students. In doing so, we have a transformational impact on our classrooms, schools, and communities.
What is Ascend?

How Ascend Works

Ascend works with low-performing students in grades 3-6 who performed in the bottom two tiers of state standardized mathematics testing during the previous school year.
Learning Coaches and participating students work together one-on-one during the school day. Students receive 90 minutes of Ascend instruction each week.
Learning Coaches receive weekly instructional coaching from a corps of veteran classroom teachers. During coaching sessions, they collaborate to analyze session footage for evidence of instructional effectiveness and student understanding.

Ascend's Key Innovations

Ascend is reimagining curriculum, instruction, and even the physical design of the school building to support our lowest-performing students in urban public schools.
Our Space

The Learning Station

Ascend's sessions take place during the school day in one of our Learning Stations - immersive, student-centered learning environments within the school building that empower students to take ownership over their learning.

Our instruction

The Learning Coach

Learning Coaches, a new category of professional within the school building, deliver highly-individualized, one-on-one instruction to students.

Our curriculum

The Curriculum

Ascend’s innovative curriculum consists of “low-floor, high-ceiling” tasks that simultaneously develops students’ social-emotional skills, critical thinking skills, and conceptual understanding of foundational mathematical principles.

Our Space

The Learning Station

Ascend's sessions take place during the school day in one of our Learning Stations - immersive, student-centered learning environments within the school building that empower students to take ownership over their learning.

Our instruction

The Learning Coach

Learning Coaches, a new category of professional within the school building, deliver highly-individualized, one-on-one instruction to students.

Our curriculum

The Curriculum

Ascend’s innovative curriculum consists of “low-floor, high-ceiling” tasks that simultaneously develops students’ social-emotional skills, critical thinking skills, and conceptual understanding of foundational mathematical principles.

Since the launch of Ascend at our pilot school, the percentage of 4th grade students scoring on grade level on state standardized testing has increased from 68 to 84 percent.

(Numerical Data Statement )
Educators say....
“Ascend has been able to focus on closing the gap while the teachers focus on keeping the grade level content being taught at the same time.”
Renee Crawford, Principal

Proven outcomes

Learn how we have improved outcomes for low-performing students at our pilot site, Bond Hill Academy.

Our impact

Apply for the ATI fellowship

When our students reach their fullest potential, you discover your own. Apply for the Ascend Teaching and Innovation (ATI) Fellowship.

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Contact us
  • ascend@bondsofunion.org
  • P.O. Box 198027 Cincinnati, OH 45219
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Numerical Data Statement

All low-performing students were randomly selected with equal likelihood to either participate in Ascend’s intervention, or to be part of a Business as Usual control group.

Criteria for the equivalence of the demographic make-up of Ascend cohort and control group were set and checked for.

Teacher and administration input was considered only as it pertained to the potential for a student to be withdrawn from Bond Hill within the academic year.

Only students who completed the MAP in Mathematics in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 were included in the analysis.