Eight District Planning Components

The eight factors that emerged as important in Concord, NH can serve as a framework within which to plan. For your school or district, some may emerge as more important than others and there may be additional critical factors. With that caveat, the eight planning components we suggest are: technology infrastructure, digital content resources, administrative support, teacher training and support, redefined roles for special and regular education teachers, a new curriculum planning model, parent and community involvement, and creative funding.

To read more about Concord’s examples, please see chapter eight of Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning

Each of these components can be addressed in a bottom up or top down way. For example a single teacher or pair of teachers can work to make a single UDL assignment and demonstrate to students and other teachers that the approach benefits all learners in the class. Or an administrator can decide to commit resources to a system-wide professional development program that involves every teacher. Each approach is equally valid and equally important.