This article describes how the Virginia Beach schools have embraced differentiation as its new instructional philosophy, in part by adding it to teacher evaluation. The heart of guiding everyone in the district from novice to expert in the work focuses on these four essential questions: (1) Are we clear about what matters in curricula?; (2) Is the…

This study investigated preservice teachers from two teacher education programs, elementary generalists and bilingual generalists (who will teach all subjects in both English and Spanish), about their instructional design abilities via examination of their ability to integrate interdisciplinary-themed activities into mathematics lessons. The…

This qualitative case study examined South Korean elementary teachers' beliefs about the goals of multicultural education in relation to practices and contexts within social studies instruction. The first research question examined the distinguishing features of South Korean elementary teachers' beliefs about the goals of multicultural education.…

This study examined the impact of using a differentiated instructional approach to teaching second year students pursuing an undergraduate course in curriculum studies at a tertiary institution. These prospective teachers varied in terms of their interests, experiences, personal circumstances, and learning preferences. Four hundred and thirty-four…

Using socio-ecological theory, this study explores best practice (educational practices correlated with higher student performance) in middle-school science. Seven schools with consistently higher student performance were compared with three demographically similar, average-performing schools. Best practice included instructional approaches…

The English Language and Literacy Acquisition--Validation (ELLA-V) study was a five-year evaluation of a program that provided professional development, coaching, and curricula that targeted English-as-a-second-language (ESL) instruction for teachers of K-3 English learners (ELs). ELLA-V was implemented in 10 school districts in Texas in the…

The English Language and Literacy Acquisition--Validation (ELLA-V) study was a five-year evaluation of a program that provided professional development, coaching, and curricula that targeted English-as-a-second-language (ESL) instruction for teachers of K-3 English learners (ELs). The project was federally funded by a grant from the U.S.…

Deferential differentiation occurs when the curriculum modification process defers to students' preferred ways of learning rather than relying on teachers' judgments. The preferences of 416 students identified as gifted (grades 3-8) for features of differentiated curriculum recommended for gifted students were compared with those of 230 students…

The "Study of Deeper Learning: Opportunities and Outcomes"--funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation--is a proof-of-concept study, the purpose of which was to determine whether students attending high schools with a mature and at least moderately well implemented approach to promoting deeper learning actually experienced…

Discusses why individualization of learning is needed in inner-city schools and describes a study comparing traditional instruction with programed instruction in teaching shorthand to students in selected inner-city high schools in Dallas, Texas. Procedures, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are included. (HD)

The Toledo Public Schools and the Toledo Diocesan Schools have both been involved in the implementation of competency-based instructional systems in the past three years. Each system has achieved implementation in varying degrees and by contrasting methodologies. The objectives of this paper are to (1) examine the theoretical framework, the social…

Because many pesticides are potentially injurious to their users and can have a deleterious effect on the environment when misused, the Environmental Protection Agency has restricted the use of some chemicals to certified users only. A program was developed to assess the need for training in pesticide use, to develop the necessary curriculum, to…

This report is intended to assist curriculum developers, administrators, and teachers in the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) system in deciding if and when it is appropriate to introduce individualized systems of instruction in their programs. The first section explains what individualized instruction is and examines the reasons for the…

A 20-item questionnaire determined and compared attitudes of 996 public school teachers and administrators in 83 rural Tennessee counties concerning curriculum development, course content, school environment, individualized instruction, philosophical parameters, student evaluation, and extracurricular activities. Both teachers and administrators…

Acting on instructions from the Cranston School Committee, a committee comprised of educational professional staff, community leaders, citizens, and students was organized to consider the methods and feasibility of year-round schools. The year round concept and its application in various plans throughout the country was the subject of…