DIFFERENTIATION
AND BEST
PRACTICES
BY KAYLA GILMORE
3 KEY TAKEAWAY'S
Appropriate Feedback
All Student Differentiation vs.
Gifted Learners Differentiation
Using a 3-Tier Model for
Academic Interventions
INTENTIONAL FEEDBACK
AS AN EDUCATOR IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOT GIVE FEEDBACK STARTING WITH “I LIKE...,” “I LOVE…,” “I DISLIKE…,” ETC. THE
REASON WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOT TO GIVE FEEDBACK STARTING WITH THESE WORDS BECAUSE IT IS NOT ABOUT WHAT
THE TEACHER THINKS OR FEELS WHEN IT COMES TO HOW THE STUDENT DID ON THEIR ASSIGNMENT, BUT IN FACT, IT IS MORE
IMPORTANT FOR TEACHERS TO PROVIDE INTENTIONAL FEEDBACK THAT WILL HELP THE STUDENT GROW AS AN INDIVIDUAL
(SACKTEIN, 2019). NOT ONLY SHOULD THE FEEDBACK BE INTENTIONAL, BUT IT ALSO SHOULD BE DESCRIPTIVE. DESCRIPTIVE
FEEDBACK GIVES MORE FEEDBACK ON WHAT THE STUDENT DID WELL AND DID NOT DO WELL ON, WHICH IS MORE HELPFUL
FOR FURTHER LEARNING (ASCD, 2008, 18:40-19:30).
ALL STUDENT DIFFERENTIATION VS. GIFTED
LEARNERS DIFFERENTIATION
Every student receives
differentiation, but gifted
learners go above and
beyond what other
learners are provided
through differentiation in
the classroom.
All
Students
Gifted
Learners
Rigor and Variety
in Activities
Advanced
Content and
Process
Student Choice in
Parts of the
Curriculum
Choice Beyond
the School
Curriculum
Meet Academic
Goals
Goes Beyond
Academic Goals
Heacox, 2017, p. 146
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
• All students receive differentiation
• Minimal interventions
• General Curriculum
• 80-90% of students successful in this tier
• Small groups
• More intensive interventions
• Differentiation using tiered assignments
• 5-10% of students successful in this tier
THE THREE-TIER
MODEL FOR
ACADEMIC
INTERVENTIONS
• Special Education referral and Parent Consent
• Evaluation of student and Possible IEP
• Instruction given based on student needs
• Only 5% of students need Tier 3 supports
Heacox, 2017, p. 151
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under
CC BY
GRADUATE PORTION
ALL REASONING IS BASED ON DATA, INFORMATION, AND EVIDENCE. IN “POWER OF
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TO ADVANCE LEARNING, PART 2 OF 3, PART 2: A SIX STEP
PROCESS FOR STUDENT GROWTH,” TEACHERS ALL WONDERED HOW THEY WOULD
KNOW IF THEIR STUDENTS WERE LEARNING WHAT THEY ARE TEACHING. TO ANSWER THIS
QUESTION, DOUG FISHER, WHO IS A PROFESSOR OF LITERACY AT THE SAN DIEGO STATE
UNIVERSITY EXPLAINS HOW FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT CAN PROVIDE THE DATA,
INFORMATION, AND EVIDENCE TO CHECK STUDENT UNDERSTANDING AND KNOW WHAT
THE STUDENTS KNOW AND DON’T KNOW(ASCD, 2008, 1:40-2:15). NOT ONLY DOES
THE DATA, INFORMATION, AND EVIDENCE HELP THE TEACHER CHECK FOR STUDENT
UNDERSTANDING, BUT THEY CAN PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT TEACHERS NEED TO
GIVE STUDENTS FEEDBACK ON HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE, AND STUDENTS AND STUDENTS
WILL ALSO BE MORE AWARE OF THEIR NEEDS (2:15-2:55). DOUG FISHER ALSO
EXPLAINED THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT FOR TEACHERS TO “ANALYZE THE DATA, LOOK AT
PATTERNS FOR STUDENT NEEDS” (8:00-8:15), AND MORE. THE DATA, INFORMATION,
AND EVIDENCE THAT ARE PROVIDED FROM THE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS ENABLE
TEACHER TO BETTER DECIDE AND REASON OUT THEIR NEXT STEPS IN TEACHING THEIR
STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE THEY CAN BE.
REFERENCES
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (Producer). (2008). Part 2: A
Six Step Process for Student Growth [Video file]. Retrieved from Academic Video
Online: Premium database.
Heacox, D., Wormeli, R., & Bratsch, M. (2017). Making differentiation a habit: How to
ensure success in academically diverse classrooms. Free Spirit Publishing.
Sackstein, S. (2019, April 25). PSA: When giving feedback, don't lead with 'i love' or 'I
LIKE' (OPINION). Education Week. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-psa-when-giving-feedbackdont-lead-with-i-love-or-ilike/2019/04?utm_source=eb&%3Butm_medium=eml&%3Butm_campaign=contentpr
omo&%3Butm_content=20210211&%3BM=59860476&%3BU=254367&%3BUUID=a0703
a3561641d4e74a606de577d3072.