DI for the 21 st Century Classroom
Where do I start differentiation in the classroom?

DI for the 21 st Century Classroom
What is assessment?
Is NOT a synonym for testing
IS the gathering of information for the purpose of guiding instruction

DI for the 21 st Century Classroom
What is assessment? (cont'd)
Keep in mind that grades and assessments are not the same. You need assessment to help you determine learning progress and to shape your instruction , but every task that a student engages in does not need to be graded.

DI for the 21 st Century Classroom
What is assessment? (cont'd)
Assessment takes various forms that support instruction in different ways.
Pre-assessment helps teachers determine students' current levels of readiness and is used to plan appropriate instruction.
Formative assessment allows teachers to accumulate information about students' progress and is used to guide instructional decisions.
Summative assessment measures students' progress at the end of a unit of study and is used to determine whether the criteria of the standards have been met.
Pre-assessment and formative assessment are
critical tools for differentiated instruction.
R14, R15

DI for the 21 st Century Classroom
Pre-Assessment
• Meant to identify what the student knows, understands, and is able to do
• Not meant to be judged or evaluated
• Should be used when students have become comfortable in the learning situation (students who are not comfortable may see pre-assessment as a threat)
• Should be used to focus the learner on what is to come in the lesson/unit

DI for the 21 st Century Classroom
Formative Assessment

DI for the 21 st Century Classroom
Quick Pre- and Formative
Assessment Strategies
• Observations and conversations
• Thumb check o Thumbs down: I don't get it o Thumbs sideways: Teach me a little more o Thumbs up: I've got it
• KWI o What do you Know?
o What do you Want to know?
o What are you Interested in learning about the topic?
• Exit slips and other check-in slips
• Interactive whiteboards and clickers
• Teacher email or text message (w/prompts)
Source: Heacox, 2009

DI for the 21 st Century Classroom
Assessment informs instruction; without it, purposeful differentiation is simply not possible.
―Diane Heacox, 2009

DI for the 21 st Century Classroom
Good assessment is never kept a secret.
If a student ever asks, "Is this going to be on the test?" we haven't done our job.
Students learn best when their brains are primed for what to achieve and expect.