A Policy Reader in Universal Design for Learning

David T. Gordon is director of communications at CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology), where he is helping to launch a National Center on Universal Design for Learning. At Harvard University (1999–2004), he edited the award-winning Harvard Education Letter, winning a National Press Club Award for distinguished reporting and analysis of the national board certification program for teachers. He has been a college writing instructor at Emerson College (1998–1999) and a staff editor, writer, and researcher for Newsweek (1989–1997). Gordon is the editor of three previous books for Harvard Education Press, including A Nation Reformed? American Education 20 Years after A Nation at Risk.

Jenna W. Gravel is a research associate and instructional designer at CAST, where she has played a central role in the development of CAST’s UDL Guidelines. Her expertise in education policy and her experience in special education serve as a foundation for her work. Before joining CAST, Jenna was a middle school inclusion specialist in Malden, Massachusetts and a staff assistant for the Federation for Children with Special Needs in Boston, an advocacy group for parents of children with disabilities. She is certified in special education from preK–12. She earned an MEd in education policy and management from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BA in government and Spanish from Colby College.

Laura A. Schifter is a doctoral candidate in the Education Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice program at Harvard Graduate School of Education where she is studying the experiences of and policies related to students with disabilities. Prior to attending Harvard, Laura served as an education fellow for Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in Washington, DC and taught elementary school in San Francisco. Laura earned an MEd in mind, brain, and education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BA in American studies from Amherst College.