How do you differentiate instruction based on assessment data?

The problem that arises is that the best way to assess is by asking open-ended questions. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to read these assessments. The students also try to guess what the "right" answers are and it gives you no information. In the search for the golden apple that gives you the best teaching approach, you spend so much time assessing that you get no teaching done. You also have problems in that the students may not have the vocabulary and communications skills needed to give you an in-depth look at where they are. This especially applies to AAVE and ESL students, because we tend to use idioms WE'RE comfortable with. There is no golden apple.

One thing I've found helpful on differentiating by content: -Before even assessing, inform yourself on learners' profiles which usually contains information about specific learning challenges the student may face. At the end of the year we hand the profiles to the next teacher for that grade, put a note in front of the profile with "low", "medium" or "high" educational need or "needs alternative assessment for next grade." This gives the teacher a heads up before the year even starts. This example works well in the intermediate phase. -Keep all lessons and built up a resource file. The file contains dividers for lesson A, lesson B (scaffolded lesson), lesson C (differentiated lesson). They are all the same, but different in taxonomy.

In my experience of teaching for 20 years in New York City, I know that people can be taught by differentiating instruction. This is because people and students learn by different methods.

Assessment data seems rather cold and calculating to me. I don't use any of the prescribed techniques. I take the time to listen to my students and find out what they want to learn and then together we figure out how to create classes that meet their needs as individuals. As we all know, we are all unique individuals and no one should be "lumped" into a "category", "assessment" or "judgement/prejudice". These processes turn the instructor into a "victim of the system" and takes away the human experience.

Process is a key factor in differentiating tasks for pupils with additional needs. Resources can be differentiated according to pupil's reading ability, level of key word understanding or ability to concentrate for differing periods of time. Visual aids such as now and next cards, working towards cards and timers are particularly useful when differentiating by process for pupils with autism, PDA or ADHD.

On differentiation by process: We want to adjust how we teach to meet the needs of all learners in class. So what to do if the needs are very diverse in one class? Best way in my experience is to make sure that the teaching strategy chosen includes as many senses as possible like visual, auditory and tactile. So whatever the educational challenge, students learn best when all the senses are included in whatever teaching strategy chosen. After this initial phase of presenting new knowledge to learners, now we differentiate again via taxonomy. And the process starts all over again, but on a different level.

Don't focus to much on assessment data. The data provided was influences by factors not in control of the teacher. For example, a learner is new to the school and started at the end of term 2. So the learner has to adjust and follow the flow of the rest of the class. Educators OBSERVE this without assessment. As you observe, you adapt. In real life, this happens quick. This is why we have predesigned lessons that are already differentiated.

I feel that the final product should be a result of a pupil's vision rather than their teacher's. When we are more focused on process rather than product, we can concentrate on fostering the key skills that the task was built around. I feel that a finished product should reflect a child's vision, additional needs and learning goals rather than their peers. By allowing creative freedom rather than enforcing boundaries we can support a young person's mental health and wellbeing.

Differentiation by learning environment can be a useful tool in terms of supporting pupil understanding, emotional regulation and engagement. If a task can be completed in an alternative space that is more conducive to a child's ability to concentrate or regulate (e.g. sensory room, swing room, outside) then it may aid their ability to process instructions and complete the task to a better degree than in class. Some children may require a higher or lower stimulating environment to aid their ability to focus and engage with learning.

I have been teaching for over 50 years. It has been my experience that it is impossible to gauge how much information and experience each of the students has. You can guess at the learning styles, but most don't know that there are other styles of learning. How do you assess then? Give them a test? I ask them "What is new to you?" "What do you like about this?" "Would a picture help?" "Who can explain to the class what this means?" "Who could ask the hardest question about this? What would it be?" It's like teaching in a one-room schoolhouse. The students learn from the teachers and the materials, but they also learn from their classmates. Their curiosity will pull them in directions you never anticipated and stretch you. Questions work.

Teachers are continually assessing their students in all of these ways, whether though formal assessments, or by a simple checking for understanding during the lesson. We use all of these methods. Assessment drives teaching, and it is necessary in order to know where the student stands within the various skills so that we do not teach above or below their instructional level in reading or math, or we risk losing the students. We need assessment to know the students’ interests, strengths, and weaknesses because we need to strengthen their weak areas and access those strengths to inspire confidence, promote success, and to teach to different modalities. Assessment provides everything teachers need to effectively teach students.