ABSTRACT: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles that provides an innovative curriculum and instructional design framework. By eliminating learning barriers across a wide range of learner variations, UDL implementation can enhance teaching and learning. This study explored the perceptions of a sample of third and fourth-grade school teachers in a suburban school district outside of Boston, Massachusetts… Read more…
Change Consultancy Report Supporting Economically Disadvantaged Students
There is a need for future research and problem-solving attention surrounding a growing discrepancy in academic growth between students in Massachusetts’s small, rural setting. Within the researcher’s public school district, an initiative is underway to integrate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles by implementing a universally designed curriculum and instructional model to support all students. UDL is a set of principles and guidelines providing a framework for curriculum and instructional design Read more…
UDL in Support of Economically Disadvantaged Students
Introduction: The Groton-Dunstable Regional School District (GDRSD) is a pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade regional district located 45-miles, northwest of Boston, Massachusetts. For the 2019-2020 school year, GDRSD enrolled 2,353 students and employed 181.8 teachers, accounting for a 13.2-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio (2019 Official Accountability Report, 2019). The GDRSD school committee approved a district vision committed to the belief that all students can achieve at high academic levels when instructed in a universally designed teaching and learning model. Read more…
Calling All Departments: A Case for Digital Portfolios
Abstract: The Groton-Dunstable Regional School District (GDRSD) is a pre-kindergarten through the twelfth-grade regional district with a current enrollment of 2,500 students. All students are learning in a technology-rich learning environment with reliable network infrastructure, modern computing devices, and a standards-focused curriculum. With continued progress toward student growth targets on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), GDRSD must continue to pursue innovative classroom environments, and eliminate inequality for all students. Read more…
One-to-One Change Initiative at Groton-Dunstable Regional Schools
Abstract: Groton-Dunstable Regional Schools is a pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade school district with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The five schools are located approximately 40 miles of Boston, Massachusetts, conveniently located near Interstate Route 495. The district features a dynamic leadership team, an outstanding faculty, and a supportive parent community. The towns of Groton and Dunstable are unique in with quaint downtown areas that boast a wonderful history and fine dining experiences as well as rural Read more…