This practice guide presents six evidence-based recommendations for college and university faculty, administrators, and advisors working to improve the success of students academically underprepared for college. Each recommendation includes an overview of the practice, a summary of evidence used in support of the evidence rating, guidance on how…

This article profiles the Rockwood School District, a district that has adopted a differentiated instruction to accommodate learning differences in children. Tiered assignments are described, along with the benefits of differentiation and the impact on student learning. Suggestions for educators wanting to develop a district-wide plan for…

This handbook is designed for use in conjunction with staff training seminars designed to provide teachers and administrators with a framework and procedures for designing and implementing effective applications of technologies in the curriculum. The intended outcome of the seminars is the development of comprehensive programs including the…

This article focuses on self-determination and quality of life in special education services and supports. It discusses essential characteristics of self-determined behavior, core quality-of-life dimensions, quality-of-life assessment and instruction, assessment, how quality of life and self-determination are related, and curricular issues in self…

Balancing limited time and effort between knowledge that students should know in depth (intensive curriculum) and knowledge about which they should have some understanding (extensive curriculum) poses a challenge for many educators. One solution to this problem involves the use of the connecting idea. A connecting idea links content that is part…

This article discusses the lack of materials on the contributions of women in the humanities. Recommendations are offered on ways to incorporate female contributions into the content of the curriculum and modify instructional approaches to accommodate some of the learning differences between female and male students. (CR)

This manual, first in a series dealing with the Lau Center technical assistance approach, is designed to assist school districts in their efforts to develop an educational master plan to meet Title VI (1964 Civil Rights Act) compliance guidelines. The manual summarizes the legislation, judicial decisions, and the Task Force Remedies which have…

Describes the success of a Georgia Tech course that integrates science and literature by analyzing the division between these "two cultures." Summarizes course organization and content, including section topics; reading materials from science, philosophy, and literature; and basic issues confronted in the course. (MM)

The goal of this booklet is to help teachers re-examine education for students with disabilities. It is intended to help clarify issues related to developing adaptive processes to include students with disabilities in general education classrooms. It begins by explaining the difference between mainstreaming, integration, and inclusion, how a…

Compares three major types of syllabi--structural, situational, and notional--to determine how the last differs from the others. For each, the author examines its focus, its basis for selecting and ordering materials, and its typical manner of presentation. Discusses in considerable detail macro- and microstrategies consistent with the notional…

This article explores four variables that can help gifted students learn: (1) time (including using acceleration, curriculum compacting, dual enrollment, multi-age classrooms, self-pacing, pre-assessments, and telescoping); (2) structure (including structuring content, the process, and the environment); (3) support (including using encouragement…

This article describes the High/Scope Cognitively Oriented Pre-School Curriculum that recognizes that the power to learn resides in the child and focuses on active learning practices. It discusses child-initiated learning, key skills for thinking, key concepts involved in teaching thinking skills, and activities that support the development of…

An approach to teaching university-level environmental education that uses structured controversy to challenge and enhance students' conceptions of environmental issues is described. Students are confronted with alternative viewpoints and evidence and engage in peer discussion to formulate their own position, understand other viewpoints, see the…

This Guidebook contains ideas, examples, suggestions, and resources that can help teachers create and implement a science curriculum for all students. It is designed to be used as a guide for exploring the issues of vision, teaching, curriculum, and assessment that should be considered and debated in the move towards scientific literacy. Chapters…

Discusses "backward design," a strategy for planning curriculum and school improvement by first thinking carefully about desired results and then working backward to develop meaningful assessments and learning plans. For this design to work, educators must identify desired results, analyze multiple sources of data, and determine appropriate action…