"The Power to Learn: The Benefits and the Promise of Personalized Instruction" advances the notion that personalized instruction is the direction that schools must take if all students are expected to succeed with difficult learning challenges. Based on the premise that all students are capable, this book offers practical information so…

Although data-based individualization (DBI) has positive effects on learning outcomes for students with learning difficulties, this framework can be difficult for teachers to implement due to its complexity and contextual barriers. The first aim of this synthesis was to investigate the effects of ongoing professional development (PD) support for…

Although data-based individualization (DBI) has positive effects on learning outcomes for students with learning difficulties, this framework can be difficult for teachers to implement due to its complexity and contextual barriers. The first aim of this synthesis was to investigate the effects of ongoing professional development (PD) support for…

Tier 1 Instruction provides the essential foundation for all students to succeed, alleviating the need for more intensive support later. This Spotlight will help readers learn from schools implementing multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS); analyze new laws on math supports for struggling students; evaluate the long-term benefits of early…

In this "Equity by Design" brief, we outline the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on student learning and wellness. Next, we critique common narratives and responses to student educational difficulties following the start of the pandemic. Finally, we conclude with key considerations for educational decision-making, prevention,…

This publication provides research-based guidance for intensifying instruction in reading and mathematics for students with significant learning difficulties, including students with disabilities, in kindergarten through grade 12. The guide gives technical assistance providers and states information reflecting "best practices" for implementing…

This brief paper provides specific suggestions to help science teachers make the necessary accommodations to include students with disabilities in science instruction. Suggestions are organized under the two broad headings of difficulties in gaining knowledge and difficulties in demonstrating knowledge. Under each category specific student…

Reactions to the regular/special education interface initiative of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services include the need to protect educational entitlements of the handicapped, improve vocational and career planning, modify stringent graduation requirements for handicapped students, and implement the Education of the…

This paper proposes that mild learning disability may often be more the result of teaching which ignores individual differences in learning style than the result of psychological processing and/or central nervous system disorders that are characteristic of true learning disabilities. A brief overview of learning disability identification explains…

This current response to a 1968 article by Ray Barsch (EC 602 662) notes lack of progress in defining and classifying learning disabilities and in determining appropriate interventions to help students with learning disabilities. The paper distinguishes among three types of learning problems and notes the need for individualized transdisciplinary…

The study examined the effectiveness of strategies and instructional interventions used in the regular classroom setting in one California school district (1984-85) before students were referred to special education. Findings of a survey of 61 teachers from 41 schools indicated that the three most frequently applied strategies were individualized…

This commentary on a reprinted 1968 article by Ray Barsch (EC 602 662) considers each of Barsch's perspectives on learning disabilities (history, disciplines, education, teacher preparation, province, and time) and concludes that a perspective comparing now to then finds that students with learning disabilities are now significantly better served.…

The major advantage of criterion referenced tests (CRTs) over norm referenced tests (NRTs) is that CRTs yield specific information about student skills upon which educators can plan individualized instruction. Individual education with a strong emphasis on teaching students specific skills will be enhanced by the committed use of CRTs. (Author)

Suggests that music education by its nature is well suited to meeting the special needs of at-risk students. Discusses the role of music in motivating and enabling students to succeed. Defines the causes of failure as inability and lack of desire to learn when at-risk students receive the wrong kind of instruction. (DK)

This paper presents basic information about the brain and how learning takes place, considers causes of differing human temperaments as explained by principles of Jungian psychology, reports on research on the causes of low achievement, and suggests a method to correct many educational problems. Principles of developmental neurology and right/left…