This article focuses on the educational strategies that can be used to support female students of African descent in their persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. STEM careers have historically been White male and White female dominated, which has yielded an underrepresentation of those of…

Rather than buying individual books about professional learning communities (PLCs), differentiated instruction (DI), and Response to Intervention (RTI), invest wisely in one resource that synthesizes all three. The text uses a tapestry analogy to weave together these critical topics to form a comprehensive framework for achieving continuous school…

Differentiated instruction is a way to meet the instructional needs of all students. Students are met at their academic levels rather than given work that is above or below their level. Even though differentiation may appear to be something that is easily achieved, there are some who decide otherwise. Many educators are considered to be exemplary…

Most pupils, if asked, might be expected to have a view about their school and increasingly the value and significance of including pupils' perspectives in matters and decisions which affect them and their lives appears to be gaining recognition. The rationale for, and importance of, including the views and perceptions of those we have described…

Many music educators struggle with adapting buildingwide professional development initiatives into their own curriculum and teaching practice while still maintaining the integrity of the musical experiences they bring to the classroom. One vastly popular trend in instructional strategies, differentiated instruction, is both accessible to the music…

With work currently being undertaken on formulating Australia's first national curriculum, now seems an opportune time to review the current state of play with regard to how well inclusivity is being represented in the developing documentation. An accurate understanding of "what is" is often the first step in preparing for "what may…

Marjorie Y. Lipson is professor emerita and research associate with Vermont Reads Institute. Her work focuses on assessment and instruction of students with reading difficulties, comprehension instruction, and school reform. She is widely published and has received many awards for teaching. In this "Ask the Expert" she replies to questions posed…

Using hierarchical linear modeling and longitudinal data from the first 6 waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort, the authors examined reading achievement and growth rates by learning disability (LD) subgroup. The 2-level (time-student) growth curve model indicated that lower levels of reading achievement were already…

Adaptive hypermedia is one of the most popular approaches of personalized information access. When the field started to emerge, the expectation was that soon nearly all published hypermedia content could be adapted to the needs, preferences, and abilities of its users. However, after a decade and a half, the gap between the amount of total…

It is well known that the first years of teaching are a challenge for all beginning teachers. According to the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future's study (2010) first-year teacher attrition has been steadily increasing and many leave the profession even before they are proficient educators who know how to work with colleagues to…

In this column the author discusses several major works that came out in the 50-year period from the 1920s to the 1960s, as well as real-world examples that show that differentiated curriculum works and can make a difference in the lives of gifted learners. In the 1920s, Leta Hollingworth's work advocated a specialized curriculum for gifted…

School districts are spending millions on tutoring outside regular school day hours for economically and academically disadvantaged students in need of extra academic assistance. Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), parents of children in persistently low-performing schools were allowed to choose their child's tutoring provider, and together with…

This book provides targeted mathematics instruction for every child. This book combines formative assessment with practical activities to differentiate the elementary classroom. The formative assessments include student work samples at varying levels. The authors: (1) Illustrate the distinction between a "traditional" assessment and an "enhanced"…

Administrators and teachers are seeking professional development (PD) opportunities to find ways to increase scores on annual standardized tests as well as to learn methods of instruction that will help meet the academic needs of a diverse student population. Differentiated instruction (DI) is a research-based method of teaching students based on…

"Using the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts With Gifted and Advanced Learners" provides teachers and administrators examples and strategies to implement the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with advanced learners at all stages of development in K-12 schools. The book describes--and demonstrates with specific examples…