Interest in Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and its application to education has been substantial since the publication of Frames of Mind in 1983 and Gardner's keynote address in early 1984, for a standing-room-only crowd at the Education Explosion Conference in Tarrytown, New York. More than a decade later, the attention focused on multiple intelligences (MI) remains unabated. Teachers, schools, and districts have embraced this model of intelligence as their guide amid much recent educational turmoil.

To date, however, the literature on MI theory in K-12 schools has been limited to how-to pedagogical applications or pilot classroom or school programs. Multiple Intelligences and Student Achievement: Success Stories from Six Schools is the first book to examine educational programs that have used MI for five or more years. It begins to answer questions that all educational innovations must ultimately address, such as, “How have MI programs affected student achievement?” and “Where and how were those results achieved?”

In search of answers to these questions, we contacted six public schools that claimed to have implemented MI programs for five or more years. The six schools—two elementary, two middle-level, and two high schools—serve a variety of student populations across the United States. Although each school's program is distinct, the programs resemble one another in two significant ways: MI provides a philosophic and curricular framework in each site, and the students have made significant academic achievement gains as measured by respected standardized tests, state assessment tests, and anecdotal comments from informed educators.

In writing the book, we wanted to understand the context and the processes of these MI-related successes. Chapter 1, “Why MI?”, explores why a variety of teachers, grade levels, and disciplines have adopted Gardner's theory as an instructional framework. Our interviews with teachers at these sites revealed the powerful influence of teachers' beliefs on students and the effect of such beliefs on classroom learning.

Chapters 2, 3, and 4 each look at how teachers apply MI and examine student achievement gains. Each chapter describes two schools. Chapter 2 features Russell Elementary School in Lexington, Kentucky, and EXPO for Excellence in St. Paul, Minnesota. Chapter 3 surveys Skyview Junior High in Bothell, Washington, and the Key Learning Community in Indianapolis, Indiana. Chapter 4 reviews Mountlake Terrace High School in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, and Lincoln High School in Stockton, California. Because very little has appeared in the literature to date about implementing MI theory at the secondary level, we are especially pleased to include case studies of middle and high school programs.

To develop the six case studies, we interviewed teachers and administrators at each site; reviewed school documents (e.g., schedules, report cards, brochures, videotapes, and newsletters); conducted in-person observations of all schools; and gathered the following information from each program:

• Student and school demographics
• Who introduced MI to the school, as well as when and why
• Explanations of how the site became an MI program
• The nature of instruction and assessment before and after MI
• Changes in daily schedules, schoolwide curriculum, or other program components to accommodate MI
• Stories about MI's “official adoption” by the school staff
• Parent involvement and/or reactions
• Teachers' perceptions of students before and after MI
• Student achievement gains before and after MI.

After collecting data from teachers, administrators, students, and school documents, we analyzed and synthesized the information. The conclusions drawn reflect our views only, and we acknowledge the small sample size. In spite of these limitations, we anticipate that the experiences of these schools will have far-reaching implications for others. All six sites demonstrate that, one-by-one, schools change as much as those who work within them change. We used a consistent format for each school description to enable readers to quickly pinpoint information about a specific grade level or, if preferred, acquire a broader K-12 perspective of MI theory in action.

In the final chapter, “Lessons Learned from MI School Programs,” we share information that these six schools have gained about transforming their environments, curriculum, assessment, student attitudes and achievement, and teachers' beliefs about those they teach.

We wrote Multiple Intelligences and Student Achievement for K-12 teachers, administrators, specialists, preservice educators, community members, and all others who believe that education is not only accountable for improving academic achievement but also for developing the multifaceted potential within each of us.