Providing all students with equity, equality, and excellence in education is a tall but necessary order if you want to close the achievement gap between students with and those without disabilities. We must go beyond equality in education by consistently examining our practices and actions to ensure that all our students have everything they need to be successful. For the last 25 years, we have failed our students with disabilities by providing the bare minimum and in doing so we are reaping that which we have sown. Students with disabilities have made minimal academic progress in both reading and math.

Exploring the promise of the differentiated classroom is the promise that all students will feel a sense of belonging, engagement, and support from their teachers. The goal of differentiated instruction is to help teachers understand how they teach is just as important as what they teach. Improving student achievement and future outcomes for all students depends on planning for student differences in the classroom.