Differentiation is the process of teaching and learning that begins with the premise that not all children learn in the same ways. It is based on:
- Readiness (a student’s prior mastery of knowledge, understanding, and skill)
- Interest (a student’s curiosity and passion that “hooks” the learner into wanting to know more)
- Learning profile (how a student prefers to learn)
When differentiating instruction, teachers plan and carry out various instructional approaches that:
- Assess student’s readiness, interest, and/or learning profile
- Scaffold student learning in order to support student’s success at complex tasks
- Modify content (what a student learns), process (activities by which a student learns), or product (demonstration of what a student learns)
Students of varying achievement levels are assigned to teacher advisor, health and physical education, elective, and exploratory courses. Students of varying achievement levels are assigned to teams for instruction in the core academic subjects. Teachers accommodate their instructional needs through differentiation, which may include the use of flexible instructional groups.
Teachers base flexible group decisions on skill levels as determined by various instructional approaches, achievement tests such as the previous Standards of Learning assessments, subject-specific diagnostic tests, student performance in current and past classes, and teacher knowledge of special characteristics of students.