Dr. Thomas Guskey

Differentiating Instruction with Mastery Learning

This presentation describes ways to differentiate and provide a higher quality of instruction for students through the use of mastery learning instructional strategies.  It focuses on the practical issues involved in the classroom application of mastery learning and describes ways to adapt these procedures to personal teaching styles, specific classroom situations, and the needs of particular students.  The goal is to provide the theory and practice of mastery learning so that they can begin using these strategies efficiently and effectively to help more of their students learn excellently.

Biography

Dr. Guskey joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky in 1978, coming from the University of Chicago's renowned Measurement, evaluation and Statistical Analysis (MESA) Program.  Prior to his appointment he served as Director of Research and Development for the Chicago Public Schools, and later became the first Director of the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, a national educational research center.  Dr. Guskey is on the Editorial Board of The Elementary School Journal, The NASSP Bulletin, and Journal of Research on Professional Learning.  He co-edits the Experts in Assessment Series for Corwin Press and was recently featured on the National Public Radio Program, "Talk of the Nation."  He also served on the Policy Research Team of the National Commission Teaching & America' Future, on the Task force to develop the National Standards for Staff Development, and recently was honored by the American Educational Research Association for his work relating research to practice.

At the University of Kentucky, Dr. Guskey has served as Special Assistant to the Chancellor, Department Chair, Faculty Council President, and Director of the Office of Educational Research and Development.  He also has been a Visiting Professor at 10 other universities in the U.S., and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at universities in Australia and New Zealand.  A frequent speaker at national conferences, Dr. Guskey has served as consultant to educators throughout the U.S., as well as in Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe.  He is included in the National Staff Development Council's Leaders in Staff Development and is the only person to have won twice the Council's prestigious "Book of the Year Award" and three times the "Article of the Year Award."

Dr. Guskey's publications include 13 books, 25 book chapters, and over 100 journal articles.  His most recent books include Benjamin S. Bloom: Portraits of an Educator (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006), How's My Kid Doing?  A Parents' Guide to Grades, Marks, and Report Cards (Jossey Bass, 2002), Developing Grading and Reporting Systems for Student Learning (Corwin, 2001), Evaluating Professional Development (Corwin, 200), and Implementing Mastery Learning (2nd ed.) (Wadsworth, 1997).  His course offerings center on research and evaluation design, quantitative analysis techniques, and educational reform and change.

Dr. Guskey holds  Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, M.Ed. in Educational Psychology from Boston College and a B.A. in Physics from Thiel College.