Every Learner Everywhere launches calculus improvement initiative

Every Learner Everywhere has launched the Courseware Lighthouse Implementation Program to help 12 colleges and universities redesign Calculus I and II with AI-enabled courseware, faculty-centered design, and continuous improvement. The fall cohort aims to boost student success in gateway math, a key pipeline to STEM and other careers.

Why it matters: - Gateway math courses such as Calculus I and II can determine whether students continue into STEM, business, healthcare and other fields. - The new program is built to improve student success in calculus by changing how departments design, teach and evaluate these courses. - Every Learner Everywhere says the effort is meant to replace one-off tech pilots with sustained, department-wide change.

What happened: - Every Learner Everywhere launched the Courseware Lighthouse Implementation Program on July 21, 2026. - The inaugural cohort starts this fall and includes 12 institutions. - The participating institutions are Miami Dade Community College, San Antonio College in the Alamo System, Georgia State University, SUNY University at Buffalo, California State University, Los Angeles, Dallas College, University of Texas Arlington, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, CUNY Queensborough Community College, Houston Community College, California State University, Fresno and the University of North Texas. - The program is supported by the Gates Foundation.

The details: - The initiative focuses on Calculus I and II and asks mathematics departments to rethink how gateway courses are designed, delivered and improved over time. - The program operates at the faculty, department and institution level, rather than centering on individual instructors. - Faculty are treated as designers and decision-makers in the implementation process. - The program uses the BEACON Framework, a six-phase model: Build the Team & Governance, Establish Outcomes & Design Considerations, Analyze Baseline & Course Fit, Co-Design the Teaching & Learning Experience, Operate at Scale, and Normalize Continuous Improvement. - The model centers Measurement, Learning and Evaluation so departments can use data to guide decisions. - Every Learner Everywhere leads the initiative and coordinates partner activity. - The Gardner Institute is contributing governance, faculty culture and accountability expertise. - Transforming Postsecondary Education in Mathematics, or TPSE Math, is helping keep the work aligned with mathematics faculty priorities and professional values. - WestEd is providing research and evaluation support. - The collaboration is designed to give institutions support without imposing prescriptive solutions from outside. - Participating institutions will use courseware from Learnvia, a nonprofit learning collaborative launched by Carnegie Mellon University. - Learnvia’s courseware is free and AI-enabled. - Learnvia says its courseware is designed around cognitive science, learning science and human-computer interaction principles. - Every Learner Everywhere says the program adapts to local context, policy and student populations while keeping a shared framework for evidence-informed improvement. - Contact information provided in the release includes more information, everylearner@wiche.edu and (303) 541-0208.

Between the lines: - The program reflects a broader shift in higher education toward redesigning core courses as systems problems, not just classroom problems. - The mix of faculty governance, disciplinary leadership and research support suggests the initiative is aiming for durability, not short-term adoption. - AI is being positioned as a tool for learning design and student engagement, not as a standalone replacement for instruction.

What's next: - The cohort will begin implementation this fall. - Participating departments will use the BEACON process to build governance structures, test course designs and expand successful practices at scale. - WestEd and the other partners will help institutions track outcomes and refine the courses over time. - Every Learner Everywhere is likely to use the cohort to shape future gateway math improvement efforts at additional institutions.

The bottom line: - Every Learner Everywhere is betting that calculus success improves most when institutions redesign the full course experience, back it with evidence and keep faculty at the center.