Professional learning has been a cornerstone of Long Beach Unified School District's approach to comprehensive reform since the early 1990s. The myPD Unplugged podcast series is just one of the ways it is expanding professional learning content and access for educators in the district and beyond. The Learning Professional's editor, Suzanne…

The author interviewed Dr. Carolyn Callahan, an eminent scholar in gifted education. The interview focused on Dr. Callahan's work on implementing gifted program in rural areas, and illustrated her suggestions for teachers, researchers, and parents on how to advocate for gifted students.

In this webinar, Dr. Carol Tomlinson of the University of Virginia presented the research base supporting the practice of differentiation and described the characteristics of effective differentiation. She led a discussion of how quality preparation can build and strengthen teachers' knowledge and skills in implementing differentiated instruction…

In this article the author provides legal explanations to the following concerns: (1) Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); (2) Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs); (3) Manifestation Determinations under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);…

The evolution of several interrelated myths reflects a combination of misinterpretation of statistics, the commendable intention of ensuring that bias and prejudice do not play roles in the provision of services to underrepresented populations of gifted students, and misapplication of programming options for gifted students. Separately, these…

Is it appropriate to write an individualized education program (IEP) for preschool students who are identified as gifted? In this article, the author shares that she does not condone the elimination of programs for truly gifted children. Her concern has to do with identifying 3-year-old children as intellectually gifted. Is the motivation for this…

In this article, a reader is asking for advice regarding her 10-year-old daughter who is having difficulty with her reading and focusing skills and social skills. The author recommends that her daughter should have a full evaluation of her academic skills and potentials inclusive of psychology, speech, and occupational therapy. The author also…

Several current approaches to evaluation stress the importance of making explicit the conceptual structure of a program--displaying the hierarchically related transactions which explain the program's movement from a set of "inputs" to a set of desired outcomes. However, individualized programs present particular difficulties in…

In this article, the author addresses the challenge to teacher education programs to resist swings in the pendulum and help new teachers sustain progressive, responsive, school-based reform efforts that seek to address the unique needs of every student even as external demands for standardized measurements of learning remain firmly in place in the…

This article describes how the teachers in a sixth grade mathematics inclusion class used differentiated instruction to better meet the needs of all learners in the classroom. In an inclusion class with students of mixed abilities, differentiated instruction allows the teacher to meet the needs of every learner by providing students with multiple…

With focus on improving the effectiveness of the Mathematics Laboratory at Somerset County College, this paper provides background information on individualized instruction programs and learning centers, assesses the current status of the Math Lab, and offers a series of recommendations for immediate implementation. The first sections set forth a…

Proposes a new degree in education called Masters of Science in Educational Computing. Combining the areas of computer science and education, the new academic area will prepare teachers to make use of computers in all phases of education. The Iona College (New York) proposed program in educational computing is included. (JJD)

Sets forth the criteria for an individualized instruction program for use with pregnant adolescents. (FL)

Proposes the use of Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) for evaluating Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) that must be developed for all students classified as educationally handicapped. Explains the use of GAS in constructing attainment or outcome estimate goals for identified problem areas, and discusses its usefulness in planning, record…

Art teachers should create individualized learning programs for their students. Such art programs can assure personalized programs for disabled students and elevate the development of basic skills in art, artistic expression, and art appreciation. (Author/RM)