Dr. Nanci Smith operates an educational consulting practice based in Phoenix Arizona. Her work includes professional development in her areas of expertise. Over the course of thirteen years, she has provided professional development in 45 states, working in small, large, urban, rural and suburban districts. Dr. Smith has been a Featured Speaker for The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She also works internationally, having presented at conferences and institutes in 9 countries, including the Netherlands, Dutch West Indies, Thailand and Turkey. She has worked in International and National schools in Netherlands, Singapore and Japan. She was part of a team working to develop quality curriculum in the Philippines, based on the integration of Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design®. In addition to providing professional development, Smith has conducted mathematics program and curriculum audits for several districts across the country. Dr. Smith taught math at the high school and university level, and fully implemented differentiated instruction in her classroom prior to becoming a full-time consultant. She has taught several Masters level courses in Differentiated Instruction. Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Mathematics Education from Arizona State University. She is Nationally Board Certified in Adolescent and Young Adult Mathematics. Nanci has authored three books in the areas of mathematics and differentiation: A Mind for Mathematics: Meaningful Teaching and Learning in Elementary Classrooms, Every Math Learner: A Doable Approach to Teaching With Student Differences In Mind, Grades K-5 and 6 – 12.  She has co-authored a handbook for classroom instruction entitled A Handbook for Unstoppable Learning, and has published several chapters and articles about effective mathematics instruction, curriculum design, and standards implementation.

Areas of expertise

  • Mathematics – Curriculum design and review; professional development
  • Common Core State Standards
  • Differentiated Instruction
  • Curriculum planning using the Understanding by Design® framework
  • Working with Mathematics Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

Available for consulting work in:

  • North America
  • International locations on all continents