Differentiated Instruction: The Impact of Assessment on Strategy Selection

1. Differentiated Instruction: The Impact of Assessment on Strategy Selection M.E.B.Lewis, Ed.D. Director, Education Projects, Kennedy Krieger Institute Mary Alice Wyatt, M.Ed. Curriculum Specialist, Kennedy Krieger High School

2. Release of Responsibility Model GUIDED PRACTICE Modeling Practice and and Instruction Application ALL TEACHER ALL STUDENT This model can be applied to lessons, units of study, semesters or an academic year’s progress.

3. WHAT ISDIFFERENTIATED INSRUCTION? • Active planning for student differences • Pacing that acknowledges that not every student learns at the same rate • Using multiple sensory paths toward achievement of instructional goals • Grouping students in ways that provide successful practice

4. Cycle for Planningand Implementing Differentiated Instruction source: Oaksford & Jones, 2001 Curriculum & Standards CONTENT What the teacher teaches PROCESS How the teacher plans, groups, individualizes for instruction PRODUCT format schedule pre assessment post assessment Student component: capacity readiness knowledge learning profile

5. How does assessment connect to instruction? • Identifies baseline/starting point for individual students • Assists the teacher in forming groups to meet student needs • Allows for accommodations for both struggling or slower students and those whose pace is accelerated • Shows student response to assessment demands

6. What do we assess? • Performance through standardized and informal assessment of global or specific skill clusters • Reaction to demand formats … oral, aural, read/react, time constraints, written products, uses of technology for answers • Response to demand environments

7. What are we “differentiating”? content process environment product

8. CONTENT • Knowledge, skills and attitudes • Pre-assessment of these elements • Permit pacing – acceleration for faster or more apt students, deceleration for struggling or slower students

9. PROCESS • Provide appropriate activities or strategies for students to access the concepts being taught. • Graphic organizers • Audio versions of directions or activities • Accessing through technology

10. PRODUCT • Managing the complexity of what the student produces to demonstrate mastery. • Adjusted expectations depending on the performance level of students • Options from which students may choose.

11. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Knowledge Evaluation Comprehension Synthesis Application Analysis

12. ENVIRONMENT • Lighting • Sound • Classroom library • Technology center • Work spaces • Accommodation for focusing (desk “blinders”, headsets, &c). • Seating options

13. The “So What?” of Assessment • Testing and merely looking at a score yields a limited response on the part of the teacher. • Results must be analyzed for trends within the performance constellation of the student (When did they relax and do better? When did they become noncompliant?) • Results on class testing must be analyzed for trends within the group – Who did well and why? Who had a scattered pattern and why?

14. Analysis Construction • A productive analysis of student performance trends yields information that teachers use to construct lessons. • There is a difference between the teacher who is a technician of the curriculum and one who is a craftsman of the curriculum.

15. ALIGNMENT • Teachers are responsible for aligning three things… • CURRICULAR SOURCES • What are you teaching and why? Where did your instructional goals come from? • INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS • How did you select the methods, strategies and materials you are using? • STUDENT PRODUCTS • What are you getting back from the student to show that your instructional goal was met?

16. Strategies for Differentiation • Students with Diverse Learning Needs • Reading • Writing • Speaking • Attending • Understanding New Concepts • Retaining & Retrieving Information • Representing New Learning in Assessment

17. When students experience difficulty with reading Delivery Modifications- try to include in your lesson: • Use of pre and post-reading activities to pre-teach or reinforce main ideas • Sequence of key points • Use of new vocabulary and concepts contained in a reading passage • Identification of the 5Ws Compensatory Strategies- teach your students to: • Utilize partner reading • Highlight key words or concept • Read aloud quietly (subvocalization)

18. When students experience difficulty with writing Delivery Modifications- try to include in your lesson: • Lists instead of sentences • A “fill-in –the-blank” form for note-taking • Narrowed choices for writing • A writing model for the assignment • Consider grading content and mechanics separately Compensatory Strategies- teach your students to: • Use of the computer for outlining, word processing, spelling and grammar check • Expression or support of written ideas through other visual representations • Appropriate writing tools & surfaces (pencil grips, lined paper, slant board)

19. When students experience difficulty with speaking Delivery Modifications- try to include in your lesson: • Sentence starters • Use of student name, then ask the question • Phrasing questions with choices embedded in them • Allowing practice opportunities for speaking Compensatory Strategies- teach your students to: • Tell the listener he/she needs more time to respond • First formulate ideas and sentence in his/her mind first, before speaking • Watch others for feedback

20. When student experiences difficulty with attending Delivery Modifications- try to include in your lesson: • Preferential seating • Proximity to influence on-task behavior • Opportunities to change tasks or activities more frequently • Reminder cues or prompts Compensatory Strategies- teach your students to: • Use self-monitoring strategies • Help students set and monitor personal goals • Use of computer to complete tasks

21. When student experiences difficulty with understanding new concepts Delivery Modifications- try to include in your lesson: • Pre-teaching of new concepts • Connection of previous learning to new information • Use of multiple means of learning the same material (visual, auditory, tactile) • Visual supports, flow charts & cues Compensatory Strategies- teach your students to: • Use organizers and concept maps • Set personal goals related to learning new information • Use peer tutors

22. When students experience difficulty with retaining and retrieving information Delivery Modifications- try to include in your lesson: • Showing relationships among concepts through graphs, outlines, and webbing • Breaking down instructional units into smaller pieces • Including rhythm, music and movement • Use of color coding to show concepts and relationships Compensatory Strategies- teach your students to: • Use mnemonics as a memory tool • Use visual imagery • Practice using new information in a variety of independent tasks (completing worksheets or activities on the computer)

23. When students experience difficulty with representing new learning in assessment Delivery Modifications- try to include in your lesson: • A variety of authentic assessments • Teaching of test taking strategies • Teaching of the format of an upcoming test • Choices • Rubrics Compensatory Strategies- teach your students to: • Self assess learning and knowledge of content • Utilize test-taking strategies • Review and refer to notes throughout the learning process

24. TEACHING objectives must be clear & attainable curriculum must be understood materials must relate to curriculum technology must be included as appropriate assessment must be ongoing options must be built in to lessons LEARNING environment must be productive and not distracting routines must be clear practice allows for mistakes and repetition options are understood technology is used as a tool, not a toy responsibility is expected What does this mean for teaching and learning?