The one thing that makes a difference in education reform is dealing with students as individuals, according to Superintendent Mary Rubadeau . I-MAP incorporates attributes of the Individualized Education Plan mandated under federal special education law for children with disabilities and applies them, in a simplified form, to the teaching of other students at risk of not achieving their full potential including gifted and other highly able students. It s really a critical attribute for kids to have. She distinguishes goal setting from the more mechanical process of breaking down schooling into series of finite learning objectives. With I-MAP, students, parents and teachers are partners in setting goals for children.
Students are responsible for learning.
On parent conference day, the team approach is evident. These are the questions Telluride students must answer, according to Rubadeau. Starting that in kindergarten really makes a difference. By the time they get to 8 th grade, they ve gotten really good at self reflection and that s very helpful. Among the educators who attended Rubadeau s session at the national conference, finding time to individualize learning was a big question.