Bottom Up and Top Down Change

Just like the nervous system, a school system learns and changes both from the bottom up and the top down. Individual teachers, one lesson that is universally designed and reaches all learners, a successful collaboration between a special and regular educator—each of these builds from the bottom up. A district-wide administrative commitment, a grant to support UDL professional development, the installation of Internet connections in every classroom, state or national policies, changes in publishing practices—each of these builds from the top down. The interconnected nature of the nervous system also provides a model for the collaborations and cooperation between people that can make UDL take off.