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Building ELA Skills for Every Student: Designing for Learner Variability in Middle School (Part 1)
Thursday, April 23, 2026 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT
Presented by Dacia Toll, Former Educator, Principal, and School System Leader, Current Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Coursemojo; Dr. Stefani Pautz Stephenson, Former Educator, Current Senior Director, Networks and Programs, Digital Promise; and Nick Schiner, Former Educator, Current Director, Peer-to-Peer Professional Learning, Digital Promise
Sponsored by Digital Promise
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The middle school years are critical for developing the literacy skills students will use for the rest of their lives. For some learners, the challenge isn’t just decoding words but negotiating the intense cognitive demand of managing new vocabulary and constructing meaning. By designing for learner variability—considering a whole-child framework of factors that includes learner background, social and emotional learning, cognition, and literacy—educators can ensure that all learners can unlock their true potential.
Join learner variability expert Dr. Stefani Pautz Stephenson and literacy expert Dacia Toll for an insightful edWebinar on how to bridge the gap between the high-quality instructional materials that districts have adopted and the diversity of student needs that exist in classrooms.
In part one of this three-part series, you learn:
- How to identify learner variability factors connected to building literacy skills and apply research-backed strategies to help middle school ELA learners thrive
- Strategies to foster high-level inferencing skills by providing each student with targeted, Socratic, one-on-one, and small-group support
This recorded edWebinar is designed for grades 6-8 educators, instructional coaches, and leaders committed to creating equitable pathways for every unique learner.
View part two: Unmasking the Math Mindset: Designing for Learner Variability in Middle School
View part three: Leveling Up SEL Through Play and Games: Designing for Learner Variability in Middle School
About the Presenters
Dacia Toll is the Co-CEO of Coursemojo, which embeds AI supports for students and teachers in top-rated ELA curricula (HQIM). Mojo transforms the assignments into interactive, differentiated activities for students and real-time data insights for teachers, including every student’s understanding of every question and trends in classwide misconceptions. Mojo-supported schools achieved 5-10 percentage point gains on state ELA tests, with greater gains for students with IEPs and multilingual learners. Coursemojo is one of only two AI reading products that has two independent research studies that meet the Tier 2 ESSA standard. Dacia’s leadership began in 1999, when she became the founding Principal of Amistad Academy in New Haven, CT, and posted the greatest achievement gains of any middle school in the state. Dacia then co-founded and led Achievement First, which became one of the nation’s leading charter networks with 41 schools and college graduation rates that were five times peer averages.
Dr. Stefani Pautz Stephenson is Senior Director of Networks and Programs with Digital Promise. In that role, Dr. Stephenson leads a portfolio of projects catalyzing research-backed and co-designed solutions that respond to real-world contexts and challenges, including the Learner Variability Navigator. Her experience in education includes work in K-12 public schools as a teacher and administrator, in higher education, and in the nonprofit sector. She holds an Ed.D. in instructional technology and is passionate about including practitioner voice in research and development. Her areas of expertise include change leadership, instructional design, and learner variability.
Nick Schiner is the Director of Peer-to-Peer Professional Learning at Digital Promise. Nick began his career as a classroom educator with Baltimore County Public Schools, teaching fourth and fifth grade before moving into the role of Elementary Technology Integration Specialist. After his time in the classroom, he served as Team Leader on the district’s Innovative Learning Team, where he oversaw efforts to help teachers integrate technology meaningfully and design hands-on, authentic learning experiences grounded in constructionism and constructivism. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Towson University and a master’s degree in educational technology from Johns Hopkins University.
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Digital Promise is a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for every learner. We work with educators, researchers, technology leaders, and communities to design, investigate, and scale innovations that support learners, especially those who’ve been historically and systematically excluded. Our vision is that every person engages in powerful learning experiences that lead to a life of well-being, fulfillment, and economic mobility. For more information, visit the Digital Promise website and follow Digital Promise for updates.
