How do you close the achievement gap? Start by changing the question.
When we use the achievement gap to define success, we shortchange our students. It’s time to recognize that the potential for greatness lies in a unique form within each child—and that the goal of education should be to encourage and develop it. This inspiring manifesto brings in research from different disciplines and demonstrates how to uncover individual greatness by giving students control of their learning. You’ll also find:
- Strategies for implementing personalizable education
- Examples showing practices that have gone wrong—and right
- Guidance for teaching disadvantaged students
Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas and a professor in Educational Leadership at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in Australia. He previously served as the Presidential Chair, Associate Dean, and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, where he was also a Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership. Prior to Oregon, Yong Zhao was University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also served as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, executive director of the Confucius Institute, as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and a fellow of the International Academy of Education.