Kristina Doubet is a professor in the Department of Middle, Secondary, and Mathematics Education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she has received the Distinguished Teacher Award, the Madison Scholar Award, and both the Sarah Miller Luck and Mengebier Endowed Professorships for Excellence in Education. Her research interests include standards-based grading, flexible grouping, interdisciplinary project-based learning, and innovative models of professional learning, particularly regarding differentiation at the middle and high school levels.

Doubet spent 10 years as a teacher and over 20 years as an instructional coach and curriculum developer. As a coach, Doubet has partnered with over 100 schools, districts, and organizations around initiatives related to differentiated instruction, the Understanding by Design® framework, classroom assessment, digital learning, and classroom management and grouping. In addition to numerous journal articles, book chapters, and professional digital pieces, she has published five books including The Flexibly Grouped Classroom: How to Organize Learning for Equity and Growth and Designing Authentic Performance Tasks and Projects: Tools for Meaningful Learning and Assessment, of which she is coauthor, along with Jay McTighe and Eric M. Carbaugh. Her other books offer practical strategies for differentiating instruction.

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN® and UbD® are registered trademarks of Backward Design, LLC used under license.

Eric M. Carbaugh, PhD, is a full professor in the Department of Middle, Secondary, and Mathematics Education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he instructs both undergraduate and graduate courses. As an educational consultant, he has worked with teachers and leaders at more than 100 schools and districts on a variety of topics related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

He is a coauthor of Designing Authentic Performance Tasks and Projects and the quick reference guide Principles and Practices for Effective Blended Learning. He has teaching experience at both the elementary and secondary levels and serves as the journal editor and a board member for the Virginia ASCD chapter.

Dr. Jeannette Tejeda is an educator, instructional technology leader, adjunct professor, and author of Differentiation With AI: An Innovative Approach to Designing Student-Centered Learning Experiences. With over 30 years of K-12 experience, she serves in a large public school district, where she supports educators in using instructional technology and artificial intelligence in meaningful, ethical, and practical ways.

In addition to her district work, Dr. Tejeda teaches graduate-level education courses as an adjunct professor, bringing together instructional practice, educator preparation, and research-based approaches to teaching and learning. Her work focuses on building teacher capacity, supporting diverse learners, and helping educators use AI to make differentiation more sustainable while keeping empathy and professional judgment at the center of instruction.