This article draws on European approaches to differentiation that do not entail fatalistic determinism. It describes two challenging initiatives in Denmark, where democratic learning and learning for democracy are enshrined in law. Other examples come from Germany, from the Bielefeld laboratory school and a sixth form college, where planning for…

On January 23-25, 2013, the Council for Exceptional Children Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD) sponsored its Fourteenth International Conference: Research to Practice in Autism, Intellectual Disability and Developmental Disabilities. The conference was held at the Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay, Hawaii. The DADD Board…

Considering the benefits that accrue in countries having low levels of social inequality and the harm that accompanies wide disparities in income, it is important to examine any practices or traditions that contribute to inequality. Under some circumstances, gifted education does confer advantages that are not available to all students,…

This brief summarizes iNACOL's New Learning Models, which personalize learning using competency-based approaches. Supported by blended and online learning modalities, teachers use technology to differentiate instruction and engage students in deeper learning. By adapting instruction to reflect a student's level of mastery, blended and online…

Heavily utilizing both instructional technology and face-to-face instruction within a bricks-and-mortar school environment, blended learning charter schools are gaining attention as a cost-effective school design. As educators turn to these blended learning school models to improve both the operational efficiency and student outcomes of America's…

Through the previous detection of existing learning styles in a classroom, a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) has been designed for students of several Engineering degrees, using the Learning Management System (LMS) utilized in the University of Jaen, ILIAS. Learning styles of three different Knowledge Areas; Chemical Engineering, Materials…

Background/Context: Despite decades of research, the persistence of the gap in student achievement between disadvantaged minority students and their middle-class peers remains unexplained. Purpose/Objective: The purpose of the current article is to propose a new model of the achievement gap. Research Design: Data were analyzed from three…

The purpose of this study was to extend previous research on the use of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) for students with intellectual disability by having 19 special education teachers monitor weekly reading progress of 38 students with intellectual disability for approximately 15 weeks and examining whether students exhibited gains on the…

This article presents findings from a year-long multilevel comparative case study exploring the characteristics of effective urban high schools. We developed a comprehensive framework from the school effectiveness research that guided our data collection and analysis at the four high schools. Using value-added methodology, we identified two higher…

Evidence on the effect of extending the school day is decidedly mixed because of the stark differences in how schools use additional time. In this paper, I focus narrowly on the effect of additional time used for individualized tutorials. In 2005, MATCH Charter Public High School integrated two hours of tutorials throughout an extended day. The…

The heart of effective programming for gifted students lies in the integration of advanced curricula with effective instructional strategies to develop leaning activities that will enhance student learning outcomes. However, empirical evidence of the effectiveness of units based on such curricular and instructional interventions from large-scale…

This study explores the efficacy of using the Essential Skill Inventories (ESI) to increase high-quality instruction in the early learning years. Kindergarten and first- and second-grade teachers, who were identified as using the ESI with fidelity, assessed their own teaching skills and behaviors, reflecting on these before and after use of the…

Several researchers have suggested the importance of being responsive to students' needs in research supervision. Adapting support strategies to students' needs in light of the goals of a task is referred to as "adaptivity." In the present study, the practice of adaptivity is explored by interviewing expert thesis supervisors about…

Low levels of student success in introductory college math courses are rampant. There are several reasons for low pass rates in these courses, with the most serious issue being lack of concept mastery. To aid students in concept mastery, adaptive learning systems were created. These systems adapt instruction for each student and create an…

Personalized learning places the interests and abilities of learners at the center of their education experience. Educators develop environments in which students and teachers together build plans for learners to achieve both interest-based and standards-based goals. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education worked…