Summer Conference Presenters
Karen Lelli Austin
Karen Lelli Austin has been an educational consultant with ASCD's Differentiated Instruction Cadre for nine years and a workshop consultant on differentiation since 1990. As an original member of ASCD's Differentiated Instruction Cadre, Austin has consulted extensively with K–12 schools across the nation to build a solid understanding of differentiation and to improve the effectiveness of differentiated classroom instruction.
Austin's career as an educator includes teaching high school English as well as teaching English abroad. More recently, she served five years as a faculty member at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education, where she was the director of summer and Saturday enrichment programs. These programs serve K–11 students who are interested in extending their learning on a Saturday or in a residential, summer setting.
Throughout her career, Austin's special interests have included curriculum and instruction for second language learners and advanced learners. She is the current chair for the Special Schools and Programs Division of the National Association for Gifted Children. Austin resides in Charlotte, N.C.
Jennifer Barrett
Jennifer Barrett is a program manager at ASCD, developing and implementing products and services to empower educators while raising student achievement. She has been a countywide administrator, professional developer, literacy coach, reading specialist, Reading Recovery teacher, and classroom teacher for grades preK–12 nationally. She served on the International Reading Association's (IRA's) government relations committee, acting as a liaison between our federal government and IRA. Barrett received her bachelor's degree in education from Pennsylvania State University and her master's of education degree from the University of Virginia.
Jennifer Beasley
Jennifer Beasley has more than 17 years of experience in education as an elementary school teacher and a gifted facilitator. She has a master's degree in education administration and gifted education and is completing doctoral work in educational psychology at the University of Virginia. Beasley's professional contributions include serving as a regular columnist for the National Association of Gifted Children's publication Teaching for High Potential. As a part of doctoral work, she is involved in facilitating workshops worldwide specializing in gifted education and differentiation.
Mary Paige Boyce
Mary Paige Boyce is a curriculum coordinator for Richland County School District Two in Columbia, S.C. She coordinates the social studies curriculum for K–12, the AVID program at middle and high school, and the GEAR Up grant. She has worked extensively with Understanding by Design at the middle school level and with differentiated instruction at all levels. Prior to her work at the district level, she was a middle school teacher, a high school teacher, and a high school administrator. Boyce continues to work with students as a government teacher in Richland Two's award-winning Virtual High School. Her joy is in helping teachers find ways to make learning active and engaging for their students.
Charles Brown
Charles Brown is a secondary mathematics teacher at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash. During his 25-year career, he has taught all levels of high school math, from algebra to calculus. Currently Brown is involved in a project with the Ferris math department that uses formative assessment as a basis for teaching, which has led to changes in summative assessment techniques as well. He bases his ideas on sound research and the work of well-known authors, but he has his own interpretation. Brown eagerly shares his insight and experience with colleagues both at the high school level and Eastern Washington University.
John L. Brown
John L. Brown is a member of two ASCD training cadres: Understanding by Design and What Works in Schools. He has also published a wide range of materials for ASCD, including the best-selling book Making the Most of Understanding by Design, as well as The Hero's Journey: A Personal Guide to Transforming Schools and Observing Dimensions of Learning in Classrooms and Schools. He is the author of numerous other ASCD publications and online courses on the following topics: balanced assessment; standards-based grading and assessment; curriculum development, renewal, and alignment; Dimensions of Learning; Understanding by Design; and What Works in Schools.
Brown has been a consultant to schools and districts throughout the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and Barbados on a wide variety of topics, including curriculum design and mapping, unpacking standards, performance-based assessment and instruction, research-based teaching-learning strategies, and learning styles. He is also an expert in working with schools and districts to design and develop curriculum in all content areas as well as strategic plans for improving student achievement. In addition to his work as an educational consultant for ASCD, Brown has served as a director of curriculum and instruction, program development, and a specialist in gifted and talented education in Prince George's County Public Schools, Md. He has also taught English at the high school and college levels and curriculum development at Trinity College, Washington, D.C.; Johns Hopkins University; and Western Maryland College.
Brown received his doctorate in education from George Mason University and master's and bachelor's degrees in English from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His awards include 1993 Outstanding Educator and 1986 Outstanding Maryland High School English Teacher.
Deborah Burns
Deborah E. Burns is the K–8 curriculum coordinator for the Cheshire Public Schools, Conn. Her work in Cheshire focuses on the district's long-term plan to support increased student achievement for all learners through a emphasis on collegial professional development, content standards, best practices teaching strategies, a subject-based and differentiated instructional framework, and formative assessment. Prior to her work in Cheshire, Burns was an associate professor and an administrator in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut where she taught courses in curriculum design and differentiation, talent development, and thinking skills instruction.
Burns's previous professional experience includes 11 years as a K–8 classroom teacher. She also worked as a regional program coordinator, as a remedial reading and math specialist, and as a presenter and consultant for a variety of school districts around the country. Burns is also the author and coauthor of numerous articles, chapters, and books related to instruction, curriculum, and assessment. Burns earned her bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in 1973, her master's degree from Ashland University in 1978, and her doctorate from the University of Connecticut in 1987.
Jean Conyers
JeanConyers served as assistant superintendent for instructional services in two Chicago area school districts for a total of 17 years. Earlier in her career, she was an assistant director of the Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL); assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Kansas, and the University of Colorado at Denver; and a teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels.Conyers has been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally for her leadership role in public education and has published numerous articles in Educational Leadership, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Quarterly, and Educational Administrative Quarterly.
Conyers continues to serve as a consultant to public and private organizations and has given presentations on education issues to numerous organizations throughout the United States and abroad. She is a Lincoln/Baldrige Examiner and has been asked to speak to various audiences regarding her work to assist organizations in their journey toward excellence. Her consulting and speaking engagements include numerous school districts in North America and abroad. Some highlights include the Metropolitan Police-Scotland Yard and Fisons Pharmaceutical Company in England; Japan Educational Systems; schools in London and Northern Ireland; and most recently, the Education Leadership Conference in Beijing, China.
Conyers has worked closely with Robert J. Marzano and applied his research to practice with hundreds of teachers and administrators over the past 20 years. Now as an ASCD faculty member, Conyers continues her commitment to helping educators overcome the challenges of preparing our children for their future by applying research to practice. Using internationally recognized quality criteria and over 35 years of educational research, she strives to help schools hold themselves accountable by focusing on research-based instruction with the best uses of technology to help teachers and administrators make data-driven decisions about their students' performance.
Bobb Darnell
Bobb Darnell was a reading specialist and communication teacher for over 20 years. He currently serves as the director for staff support for a large northwest suburban school district in Illinois, where he is responsible for planning professional development activities for 1,600 staff members in all employee groups.
Opal Davis Dawson
Opal Davis Dawson is principal of John F. Kennedy Montessori Elementary, where she is committed to helping educators learn to create a morally sound culture of achievement for all students.
She participates as a member of numerous professional, civic, and community organizations. She is a Kentucky Colonel, a Louisville Distinguished Citizen, an Honorary Captain of the Belle of Louisville, and a semifinalist in ASCD's 2003 Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA). Currently, she mentors aspiring principals and was elected a 2005 ASCD Emerging Leader, allowing her the chance to travel around the country as a national consultant.
Dawson holds a master's degree in elementary education from the University of Louisville-Kentucky, where she is on leave from her doctorate in administration and higher education.
Kristina Doubet
Kristina Doubet is an assistant professor of middle, secondary, and mathematics education at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Va. After teaching middle and high school English for 10 years, she returned to the University of Virginia (UVA) where she earned her master's degree and doctorate in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in gifted education. While at UVA, Doubet served as Carol Tomlinson's teaching and research assistant and as an instructor to preservice teachers. Currently, she teaches general methods and English/language arts methods courses to preservice teachers at JMU while working with practicing teachers and administrators—both nationally and abroad—as a staff developer and faculty coach for schools and districts implementing differentiated instruction.
Karen M. Dyer
Karen Dyer is the group director of the education and nonprofit sector of the Center for Creative Leadership, working with superintendents, principals, and other leaders. She is also a facilitator for the center's African American, Women's Leadership, and other custom-designed programs. In earlier positions, Dyer was executive director of the Chicago Academy for School Leadership, responsible for providing rigorous, results-based professional development for Chicago Public Schools principals and administrators, and executive director of the Bay Area and North Bay School Leadership Centers of the California School Leadership Academy. She has also been a principal, a Title I program manager, a reading and language arts specialist, a teacher of regular and gifted education at both elementary and middle grades, and an adjunct professor. She has made presentations for many national organizations and has done consulting work with school districts throughout the United States and in Singapore and India. Dyer is a coauthor of The Intuitive Principal, the author of several articles and numerous modules on instructional leadership, and a featured expert in ASCD's video set Leadership Strategies for Principals and action tool Guide for Instructional Leaders, Guide 3. Dyer holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley; a master's degree from Holy Names College in Oakland, Calif.; and a doctorate in education administration from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.
Marcy Emberger
Marcy Emberger focuses on the companion tasks of improving classroom teaching through the use of research-proven methods and developing classroom assessments that inform instruction. These two endeavors involve personnel from classroom teacher to local administrator to state supervisory staff. Her varied background serving in each of these capacities, and as a liaison between them, has allowed her to successfully work with all the members of the education community.
Emberger has written numerous articles on curriculum, instruction, and assessment; is a faculty member with ASCD's Understanding by Design Cadre and a coteacher with the Differentiated Instruction Cadre; and serves as a board member of the ASCD Atlantic Canada Connected Community. She served as adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University, where she taught classes in action research for school improvement and a teacher leadership seminar.
Kelly A. Hedrick
Kelly A. Hedrick is director of Gifted Education and Academy Programs with Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS). Hedrick started her career in education in 1986 as a 6th grade teacher in Annandale, Va.
Hedrick joined VBCPS in 1994 as a teacher at Salem Middle School, where became the gifted resource teacher. In 2001, she became the coordinator for the Office of Gifted Education. Her primary responsibilities as a coordinator included the development of differentiated curriculum and instruction, staff development, resource teacher mentoring, and program communication.
Hedrick has presented on gifted education, differentiation, and related topics at the state and national levels in addition to serving as a gifted education and differentiation consultant. She works with the University of Virginia's Institutes on Academic Diversity, focusing on gifted education and district-level leadership for differentiating schools and classrooms. In addition to her work as a director and consultant, Hedrick is a doctoral candidate in educational psychology with a specialty in gifted education from the University of Virginia.
Donna Herold
Donna Herold is a National Board–certified English teacher at Joel E. Ferris High Scholl in Spokane, Wash. She serves as a member of Ferris’s Professional Growth Leadership Team, for which she focuses on curriculum and instruction. Before coming to Ferris in 1998, Herold taught written and oral communications at ITT Technical Institute in Spokane. She is involved with integration of technology in the classroom, having served as both a participant and instructor for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Teacher Leadership Project and participating in her district's technology integration initiative.
Judi Herm
Judi Herm has been an educator for more than 30 years. As a teacher and a principal in elementary and middle schools, she has always had a profound commitment to meeting all students' learning needs and a deep belief that the key to student success lies in high-quality professional development. Devoted to the study and practice of school reform, she has extensive training and consulting experience with K–12 administrators and teachers in widely diverse settings, where her efforts have helped students and colleagues perform optimally. She has experience with What Works in Schools, Building Academic Background Knowledge, and Classroom Management That Works. Her areas of expertise also include standards-based grading and reporting and the art and science of teaching.She earned her bachelor's degree from Smith College, a master's degree in gifted education from the University of Denver, and an administrative certificate from the University of Colorado. Herm is a member of ASCD's What Works in Schools Cadre.
Judith Hilton
Judith Hilton is an educational consultant and a teacher in the secondary education program at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. She uses Understanding by Design to prepare prospective educators to teach for understanding, differentiate instruction to meet the variety of learners in a classroom, and select and use appropriate research-based best practice strategies to improve student achievement.
For 30 years, Hilton was a K–12 central office human resources director and served as both a middle school and high school principal in the Cherry Creek Schools, where she was successful in turning low-performing schools around and creating climates of teaching and learning for the entire school community. She believes that school reform is a collaborative effort in which administrators must communicate the vision and provide the support and training for the faculty to ensure gains in student achievement.
Hilton is the program director of school leaders for Colorado, Inc., a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the recruitment and professional development of building principals and school leadership teams. She holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Denver and has cognates in educational leadership, assessment, and organizational systems.
Pérsida Himmele
Pérsida Himmele is the ELL coordinator for curriculum and professional development at School District of Lancaster, Pa. She has been an assistant professor at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, a consultant to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and a consultant to school districts for ESL program development. Himmele has a doctorate in intercultural education, and she has been a teacher in bilingual and multilingual classrooms in New York and California. She has served as a consultant for educational projects in the United States, China, Nepal, Argentina, and the South Pacific.
William Himmele
William Himmele is an assistant professor in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. A former ESL teacher in the states of New York and California, he has also been an educational consultant in the United States, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Korea, China, Nepal, and Thailand. Himmele earned an master's degree in TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) and a doctorate in intercultural education.
Jessica Hockett
Jessica Hockett is a doctoral student in educational psychology with an emphasis on gifted education and research methodology at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education. She is writing differentiated advanced placement social science online courses for Project LOGgED On, a grant project dedicated to helping underserved gifted learners meet their academic potential. As a research assistant for The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, Hockett worked on a three-year, federally funded study on how teachers identify and develop talent in diverse K–2 classrooms. Hockett has given numerous conference, workshop, and inservice presentations on differentiation and collaborated with districts in the United States and Canada to implement long-term initiatives for differentiated instruction. Her work with differentiation extends to online professional development, curriculum design, and evaluation. Prior to doctoral study, Hockett was a middle school English, social studies, and math teacher in the Chicago area.
Marcia B. Imbeau
Marcia B. Imbeau is an associate professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where she teaches graduate courses in gifted and elementary education. She is actively involved in university and public school partnerships and teaches in a local elementary school as a university liaison. Her professional experience includes serving as a field researcher for The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, elementary teaching in the regular classroom, teaching programs for the gifted, and coordinating university-based and Saturday programs for advanced learners.
Imbeau is a board member and member of the executive committee of the National Association for Gifted Children and the Council of Exceptional Children—The Association for the Gifted Division. She is past president of Arkansans for Gifted and Talented Education, a state organization that supports appropriate instructional services for all students. Imbeau is a member of the ASCD Differentiated Instruction Cadre, which provides support and training to schools interested in improving their efforts to meet the academically diverse learning needs of their students.
Robyn R. Jackson
Robyn R. Jackson believes that any teacher can become a master teacher with the right kind of support and practice. As the president of Mindsteps Inc., an educational consulting firm in Washington, D.C., she travels the country showing teachers and instructional leaders how to dramatically improve teaching and learning in their schools. A former National Board-certified high school teacher, middle school administrator, and staff development teacher, Jackson has helped thousands of teachers and school leaders increase students' success in rigorous courses without sacrificing rigor. She is the author of three books including The Differentiation Workbook, The Instructional Leader's Guide to Strategic Conversations, and Never Work Harder Than Your Students.
Deborah Ann Jones-Riley
Deborah Ann Jones-Riley is a member of the ASCD Differentiated Instruction Cadre and was a gifted and talented resource teacher in the Fairfax County Virginia school system for over 19 years. She has presented at conferences for the Virginia Association for Gifted and for the Northern Virginia Council. She has taught several academy courses and college classes to teachers in her school district. Jones-Riley has worked on developing curriculum for the gifted programs in Fairfax County and recently worked on a group of collaborative projects to publish a series of lessons called "Thinking Lessons to Develop Thinking Skills in all Learners." She has been a board member of the Northern Virginia Odyssey of the Mind program for over 10 years. Jones-Riley is currently reviewing educational grants for distribution to the District of Columbia School District.
Everett Kline
Everett Kline is an educational consultant specializing in Understanding by Design, standards-based assessment reform, curriculum that focuses on promoting understanding, implementing authentic assessments, and applying scoring rubrics based upon rigorous performance standards. He has been a classroom teacher, building program leader, and assistant superintendent for instruction and learning for the South Orange-Maplewood School District in New Jersey.
Among others, Everett has served as a consultant and presenter for ASCD, Council of Chief State School Officers, the College Board, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Teachers College at Columbia University, and the Stevens Institute of Technology. He has done extensive work in the state of North Carolina as it worked, under Governor Hunt's leadership, to define more rigorous performance standards for all students. He was also director of the New Jersey Consortium on Assessment.
In addition, Everett is the coauthor of Transforming Schools: Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement. It was chosen by ASCD as a member book for spring 2004. Primary Voices, a journal of the National Council of Teachers of English, also published an article he was asked to write on curriculum change.
Everett holds an master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Ford Fellow, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago. He has also studied at Princeton University, where he was designated Master Teacher.
Linda Mannhardt
Linda Mannhardt is a quality learning consultant for the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency 9 in Bettendorf, Iowa. She provides direct services to school districts in the areas of differentiated instruction, math, high school redesign, and coteaching. During her 26 years in education, she has taught math in grades 3–9, served as curriculum facilitator, and worked as a consultant for the National Training Network. Mannhardt also coauthored a math series titled Algebraic Thinking. She has presented at local, state, and national conferences. Linda received her undergraduate degree from University of Northern Iowa and her master's degree from Western Illinois University.
Robert J. Marzano
Robert J. Marzano is an educational consultant and former director for training, research, and development at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), in Aurora, Colo. He headed a team of authors to develop Dimensions of Learning, is an internationally known trainer in thinking skills and literacy, and has developed programs and practices used in K–12 classrooms that translate current research and theory in cognition into instructional methods. His most recent work focuses on developing performance assessments and integrating national content standards into the curriculum as well as a meta-analysis of the literature on student achievement gains.
Prior to his work with McREL, Marzano was an associate professor at the University of Colorado at Denver and a high school English teacher and department chair. Among many books and articles, Marzano has authored The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction; Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement; A Comprehensive Guide to Designing Standards-Based Districts, Schools, and Classrooms; Transforming Classroom Grading; A Different Kind of Classroom: Teaching with Dimensions of Learning; and What Works in Schools: Translating Research Into Action.
Mary McDonough
Mary McDonough is an educational consultant and coach who specializes in the areas of research and standards-based education with a focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, supervision, and leadership. McDonough has taught for more than a decade in inner-city as well as rural schools. Her administrative experience includes serving as a principal and preK–12 central office director for teaching and learning.
Observing and supervising in over a thousand classrooms has provided practical experience for translating research into practice for student success. As a school and district administrator, results in student achievement have earned state and independent research recognition.
McDonough is a faculty member and trainer for What Works in Schools, The Art of Science of Teaching, Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement, Classroom Management That Works, and Classroom Assessment & Grading That Work as well as ASCD's ASPIRE assessment program.
Bea McGarvey
Bea McGarvey has over 25 years experience in education as an elementary teacher, a middle school guidance counselor, middle school administrator, and central office administrator. Most recently, she was executive director of education for the Portland Public Schools in Maine. A skilled facilitator and presenter, she now consults with schools and districts in the United States and Canada, specializing in organizational development, standards implementation, supervision, curriculum, assessment, and instruction focusing on learning.
McGarvey is a trainer of dimensions of learning, total leadership, and strategic teacher selection. Additionally, she has presented for state principals' and superintendents' associations, the NE League of Middle Schools, ASCD, Maine ASCD, and the Professional Development Center of the University of Southern Maine.
Jay McTighe
An accomplished author, Jay McTighe has published articles in a number of leading journals and has coauthored eight books, including the best-selling Understanding By Design series with recent additions Connecting Content and Kids: Integrating Differentiation and Understanding by Design (2006) and Schooling by Design (2007). McTighe brings a wealth of experience developed during a rich and varied career in education. He served as director of the Maryland Assessment Consortium, coordinated school improvement projects at the Maryland State Department of Education, and worked as a teacher and administrator at the district level. McTighe also has an extensive background in professional development and is a featured speaker at national, state, and district conferences and workshops. He received his undergraduate degree from The College of William and Mary and master's degree from the University of Maryland, and he completed post-graduate studies at The Johns Hopkins University. McTighe also served a three-year term on the ASCD Publications Committee, serving as committee chair in 1994–95.
Sue Mellette
Sue Mellette is the director of curriculum and professional development for Richland School District Two in Columbia, S.C. She oversees district professional development initiatives and works with schools to implement these programs. For the past six years, she has worked extensively with differentiated instruction K–12 and Understanding by Design at the middle and high school levels, developing teacher leaders and building teacher efficacy. Mellette has been a high school English teacher, language arts coordinator, assistant principal, and principal at the elementary level. She continues to teach and coach through her districtwide workshops and summer institutes.
Maria Montalvo-Balbed
Maria Montalvo-Balbed was a classroom teacher of Spanish and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for over 15 years in the Dominican Republic as well as in Fairfax County, Va. She also held positions as director of language, minority achievement specialist, and assistant principal at several middle schools in Fairfax County and Fulton County. Prior to joining the Metropolitan Regional Educational Service Agency (MRESA) staff, Montalvo-Balbed served as ESOL coordinator for Fulton County.
Montalvo-Balbed has developed and taught numerous professional development classes in the area of diversity and English language learners. She has also led several educator groups on a Spanish excursion experience to the Dominican Republic. Montalvo-Balbed serves on the conference board for ASCD as well as Breakthrough to Literacy. She is currently creating a partnership between MRESA and the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE) program at the University of Georgia.
Bernadette Musetti
Bernadette Musetti is currently associate professor of TESOL at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. She earned a master's degree in TESOL at Monterey Institute of International Studies and a doctorate in language and literacy at the University of California Davis. She has taught ESOL and sheltered literature at the middle and high school levels in Mexico and the United States. Musetti was an educational program specialist at the California Department of Education and is a former department head of intensive English language program and former codirector of a center for Latino achievement. Musetti has devoted most of her career to working with inservice and preservice teachers to better meet the needs of students in diverse classrooms. Her areas of expertise include reading in diverse classrooms, sheltered instruction, curriculum development, and creating higher education pipeline programs for students at risk.
Carol O'Connor
Carol O'Connor is an international educational consultant who specializes in teacher training. O'Connor has spent the past two years working as a differentiated instruction coach in Hong Kong and throughout Asia. She is a member of the ASCD Differentiated Instruction Cadre. O'Connor has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. Her career includes 15 years of service as a public school teacher and 10 years of service as a professional development consultant. O'Connor works with teachers throughout the United States and in other countries toward improving classrooms for the full range of learners. She is a coauthor of An Administrator's Guide to Cooperative Learning.
Sandra W. Page
Sandra W. Page has worked for over a decade with differentiated instruction as a teacher, a central office administrator, and now a full-time educational consultant. In those roles, she and instructional leaders at the school and district levels have offered professional training, developed curriculum and instructional strategies, and used administrative monitoring tools to effect changes toward serving diverse learners in regular classrooms.
Page serves as a professional consultant with ASCD and presents to groups across the country. She wrote the chapter on using literature circles in the ASCD book Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum, Grades K–5. Her Educational Leadership article described how gifted students were being served by differentiation in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in North Carolina.
Roberto Pamas
Roberto Pamas currently serves as principal of O.W. Holmes Middle School in Fairfax County, Va. Prior to his current position, he has served as assistant principal and taught foreign languages and English as a second language. He has previously served as a conference presenter for ASCD, National Middle School Association, and Virginia Educational Facility Planners. His extensive experience includes the areas of effective leadership, educational administration, parent/community relations, educational facility, after-school programs, curriculum and instruction, and instructional technology. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at Virginia Tech.
Joseph A. Petrella
Joseph A. Petrella is the assistant superintendent for the Gateway School District in Monroeville, Penn. Petrella has served as director of curriculum, principal, and vice principal for various districts in the greater Pittsburgh area. In addition to his work within his home district, Petrella has facilitated professional development opportunities for numerous school systems throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to promote effective strategies associated with differentiated instruction, Understanding by Design, and systemic reform. Petrella earned his bachelor's degree at Saint Vincent College and his master's degree and doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.
Debra Pickering
Debra Pickering is an educational consultant. She has served as a senior program associate at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) and has consulted extensively with K–12 administrators and teachers. During her 20 years in education, she gained practical experience as a classroom teacher and district staff development coordinator. Her research and development work has centered on the study of learning, specifically in the areas of complex thinking and reasoning. Pickering is a member of ASCD's What Works in Schools Cadre and a coauthor of Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. She received a bachelor's degree in English and drama education from the University of Missouri, a master's degree in school administration from the University of Denver, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in cognitive psychology from the University of Denver.
Erik Powell
Erik Powell teaches English at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., and consults for ASCD. Understanding by Design has been a central part of Powell's classes for several years, and he has seen his students consistently develop into more informed learners and perform at higher levels as a result. He has served as a staff developer and a literacy coordinator and is a member of ASCD's Understanding by Design Cadre. In addition to working with school districts across the country on curriculum design and staff development, Powell has taught courses on instructional design for Gonzaga University's School of Education and reviews units for the Understanding by Design Exchange. Powell has presented at many regional, national, and international conferences on topics ranging from Renaissance literature to designing effective reading programs.
Jeanne H. Purcell
Jeanne H. Purcell is the coordinator for advanced placement and gifted and talented education at the Connecticut State Department of Education. Prior to her work at the State Department of Education, she was an administrator for Rocky Hill Public School, where she was a K–8 curriculum coordinator and conducted a three-year staff development initiative on curriculum differentiation. She has been a community service coordinator and teacher for grade 7–12 for 18 years in Connecticut school districts. Purcell presents regularly at ASCD conferences for differentiating instruction and has worked nationally with districts and schools in implementing differentiating instruction. Purcell has published four books and many articles in several journals and magazines, including Educational Leadership, Gifted Child Quarterly, and Parenting for Potential.
Jessica Hinsch Raba
Jessica Hinsch Raba is the supervisor of instruction at New Heights Academy Charter School (NHACS) in New York, N.Y. As part of her role, she coaches teachers as they write curriculum using Understanding by Design as a guide. She also plans and implements professional development related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment for both middle and high school teachers. Prior to entering the coaching role, Hinsch Raba used Understanding by Design in her 5th and 6th grade English and social studies classroom at The Chapel School in Bronxville, N.Y., and saw incredible growth in her students' development as thinkers through the real-world connections naturally created in Understanding by Design unit plans. As part of the founding team of NHACS, she has seen Understanding by Design become an integral part of the development of a cohesive curriculum for the growing school. Hinsch Raba holds a master's degree in literacy education from Fordham University in New York and a bachelor's degree in elementary education with endorsements in reading and special education from Valparaiso University in Indiana.
Judy Rex
Judy Rex is an employee of the Scottsdale School District in Arizona, where she has taught in multiage elementary classrooms for the past 16 years. She has also been a professional development facilitator for the Scottsdale School District, specializing in differentiated curriculum,instructional strategies for diverse student populations, and positive classroom management. Prior to teaching in Scottsdale, she taught at the middle school level in southern California. In 1995, Rex received the Scottsdale Mayor's Outstanding Teacher of Disabled Children Award for the successful inclusion of such children in her heterogeneous classroom and an award for District Teachers of the Year in 1999. As a member of the ASCD faculty, she has consulted nationally on differentiated instruction for over six years. Rex's classroom is the featured site for the ASCD video A Visit to a Differentiated Classroom.
Patricia Reynolds
Patricia Reynolds is principal of Intermediate School 73 in Queens, N.Y. She has been a research fellow, assistant principal, and middle school teacher. A graduate of the New York City Leadership Academy, she specializes in school leadership, school reform, and change management. She has presented workshops and led breakout sessions at regional conferences in New York City designed to help educators craft small learning communities in their schools. Her special interests are curriculum, instruction, and differentiation based on data. She is currently writing her doctoral dissertation in educational leadership at St. John's University in Jamaica, N.Y.
Thomas Rye
Thomas Rye is a National Board–certified mathematics teacher at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash. He has 16 years of teaching experience at the middle and high school levels. He has served in a school leadership role the last six years, and he has planned and delivered Understanding by Design professional development to teachers across the state. He has delivered over 160 hours of cross-curricular training to the staff at Ferris High School. Rye has also presented at numerous conferences, including ASCD's Understanding by Design summer conferences. Rye teaches the secondary mathematics methods course at Gonzaga University. His latest work involves consulting and Understanding by Design.
Susan Schultz
Susan Schultz is currently the assistant superintendent for the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 in Evanston, Ill., a district serving 6,500 students in 17 buildings within a racially, culturally, and economically diverse community. In her 30 years as an educator, she has gained a K–12 perspective through her work as a principal at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Schultz has focused her work on improving the achievement of students with a range of readiness levels, cultural backgrounds, and learning needs. As assistant superintendent, she directed and provided leadership for a number of initiatives, including a middle school study, the development of a coteaching model for middle school bilingual education, and a differentiation and enrichment study that has resulted in a major professional development initiative for the district.
Nanci Smith
Nanci Smith is a full-time consultant in the areas of differentiated instruction and mathematics. She will complete her doctorate in mathematics education this summer. Smith has taught math at the high school and university levels. She is National Board–certified in adolescent and young adult mathematics. Smith has been a national and international consultant for ASCD's Differentiated Instruction Cadre for six years. She has taught differentiated instruction as a graduate course for Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the Singapore American International School through Buffalo State University. She also developed a CD/DVD-based professional development series for middle school math teachers. Smith's classroom has been featured in an ASCD video series on differentiation, and she has a chapter in the ASCD book Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum, Grades 5–9.
Chuck Solheim
Chuck Solheim is an education consultant for Iowa's Area Education Agency system, working in local school districts to identify students who need IEPs and create schoolwide approaches to meet the needs of struggling students. He is also a member of a team providing inservice training and consultation on differentiated instruction to districts and buildings, and he supports efforts in collaborative teaching. Solheim has been an adjunct instructor for Drake University, University of Northern Iowa, and Morningside College, teaching classes in human relations, assessment and student monitoring, and content-area reading. He has also taught upper-elementary, middle, and high school special education.
Cindy Strickland
Cindy Strickland has been a teacher for 25 years, working with students from kindergarten to the master's level. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational psychology, with an emphasis in gifted education, at the University of Virginia, where she works closely with Carol Ann Tomlinson. Strickland's consulting experience includes work with school districts across the United States and Canada as well as in England, France, and Thailand. In the past six years, Strickland has provided nearly 300 workshops on topics relating to differentiation, the Parallel Curriculum Model, and gifted education. Strickland's honors include the University of Virginia's Curry School Scholarship for outstanding academic and professional potential and the National Association for Gifted Children's Outstanding Doctoral Student Award. Stickland's has published widely on differentiation, including Tools for High Quality Differentiated Instruction: An ASCD Toolkit; the ASCD professional development online course Success with Differentiated Instruction; and the book Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum, Grades 9-12.
Carol Ann Tomlinson
Carol Ann Tomlinson is professor of educational leadership, foundations, and policy at the University of Virginia, where she was named Outstanding Professor in 2004. Tomlinson's career as an educator includes 21 years as a public school teacher, with 12 of those including service as a program administrator. Special interests throughout this time have included curriculum and instruction for struggling learners and advanced learners, effective instruction in heterogeneous settings, encouraging creative and critical thinking in the classroom, and connections between the fields of middle school education and gifted education. She was Virginia's Teacher of the Year in 1974. Tomlinson works with teachers throughout the United States and Canada toward improving classrooms for the full range of learners. She has also authored over 200 articles, books, chapters, and staff development materials. Most recently, she coauthored Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids. She serves as a reviewer for six journals, is on the national boards of the National Association for Gifted Children and the Council for Exceptional Children's Association for the Gifted. She works throughout the country and abroad with educators who want to make their schools and classrooms increasingly responsive to academically diverse learners.
Tim Westerberg
Tim Westerberg served as a high school principal for 26 years, the last 20 of which (1985–2005) were at Littleton High School in Littleton, Colo. Prior to entering school administration, Westerberg taught social studies and coached at the high school level in Illinois and Iowa. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Iowa and his doctorate in educational administration from Iowa State University.
In addition to his work as a teacher and administrator, Westerberg has been active in a variety of school transformation, staff development, and leadership training initiatives in Colorado, nationally, and internationally. From 1994 to 1996, Westerberg served on the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)/Carnegie Foundation Commission on the Restructuring of the American High School, which produced the seminal report Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution. He also played a significant role in the development of Breaking Ranks II, released in February 2004. Other recent professional activities include serving as a site evaluator for the U.S. Department of Education's New American High Schools project, an IDEA '97 trainer for the NASSP, a member of the National Staff Development Council's Results-Based Staff Development Initiative, a member of ASCD's What Works in Schools Cadre, president of the Colorado Association of School Executives, a member of the Colorado Commission for High School Improvement, and interim executive director of the Alliance for Quality Teaching. Westerberg has received numerous awards in recognition of his service to the education profession. He was one of four finalists for the NASSP/Met Life Principal of the Year program in 1994 and received the Honor Administrator Award from the Colorado Music Educators Association in 1998 and the Department Service Award from the Colorado Association of Secondary School Principals in 1999.
Grant P. Wiggins
Grant P. Wiggins is the president of Authentic Education in Hopewell, N.J. He earned his doctorate from Harvard University and his bachelor's degree from St. John's College in Annapolis, Md. Wiggins consults with schools, districts, and state education departments on a variety of reform matters. He organizes conferences and workshops and develops print materials and Web resources on curricular change. He is perhaps best known for being the coauthor of Understanding by Design and The Understanding by Design Handbook. Over the past 20 years, Wiggins has worked on some of the most influential reform initiatives in the country, including Vermont’s portfolio system and Ted Sizer’s Coalition of Essential Schools. He has established statewide consortia devoted to assessment reform for the states of North Carolina and New Jersey. His many articles have appeared in such journals as Educational Leadership and Phi Delta Kappan.
Deborah Wortham
Deborah Wortham is the director of professional development for Baltimore City Public Schools. In her 30 years with Baltimore City Public Schools, she has acted as principal and assistant principal at the elementary and middle school levels, program facilitator, teacher, and grade chairperson. She has been a keynote speaker, and she has presented workshops on instructional leadership in urban schools, continuous improvement, effective professional development, and building learning communities. Wortham received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Maryland and a doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southern University.
Allison Zmuda
Allison Zmuda is an education specialist for Education Connection in Litchfield, Conn., and a member of the ASCD Understanding by Design Cadre. She works with staff across the state and the nation to design curriculum, assessment, and instruction. Zmuda worked for seven years as a public high school social studies teacher in Sandy Hook, Conn. Her first book, The Competent Classroom: Aligning High School Curriculum, Standards, and Assessment, jointly published in 2001 by Teachers College Press and NEA, launched her work as a consultant and designer of professional development trainings. Zmuda's focus is to help every educator create a competent classroom—a learning environment where all participants believe it is possible for them to be successful and that what teacher and students are expected to know and be able to do is challenging, feasible, and worthy of the attempt. Her second book, High Stakes High School: A Guide for the Perplexed Parents, published by Kaplan in 2001, welcomes parents into the conversation about standards, assessment, and high-stakes testing. Zmuda's third book, Transforming Schools: Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement, was published by ASCD in 2004.
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