Implementing differentiated instruction to improve student achievement in middle school

NAmerican education has always had as its central paradigm the right of all children to receive at least a basic level of education up to the high school level. The challenge inherent in this right is to help a number of different children with different abilities and needs in the same classroom to attain a similar level of education in a similar measure of time. This is the basis for the rise and growth of what is known today as differentiating instruction. According to Kingore (2005), this educational paradigm recognizes that students in the same classroom more often than not come from different educational, social, and mental backgrounds and therefore have differentiating instructional needs. In other words, not all these students will respond to the same stimulus in the classroom. For this reason, instruction provided to students focus on their various levels of ability in terms of strategies such as the pace and level of instruction, grouping, and learning products. These are concerns that were taken into account at my institution of learning, where I teach 7th grade students. One change that has been implemented as a result of differentiating instruction is the view that teachers have of their position as facilitators rather than instructors (Hess, n.d.). This has created the need for teacher training, a change in the leadership paradigm, and increased funding for general implementation.

Background

The school has adhered to a traditional educational paradigm for the 15 years of its existence. The teachers have maintained a teaching style of instruction in the classroom, where all children were subject to the same style and pace of instruction. This has worked well for the first years of the school's existence, since it has not had a wide diversity of students. For this reason, teachers at the beginning of the year would make an assessment of the collective needs of the students in his or her classroom, and create a pan of action for the year accordingly. During the year, the students would become more diversified in terms of their manifest needs. Students with particularly intense needs would then be sent to a remedial program where their needs could be met.

While this strategy worked fairly well over the years, the pass rates have begun to drop recently, and my administrators have been looking for ways in which to help more students achieve their educational goals. This has brought them to the idea of differentiating education, especially since the demographic at our school has been changing to include an increasing diversity of cultures, abilities, and needs.

Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of the plan are therefore to help the students at the institution reach previously established educational goals for each year of study. Since there has been a decline in the pass rates over the years, one of the major goals is to find ways in which to remedy this. Hence, the leadership at the school has decided that a new direction should be implemented, in the form of differentiating education.

A related goal was therefore to train teachers in the administration of this type of education. Furthermore, continued support would be provided in the form of professional contacts in the field, as well as instructional materials that teachers could access at their convenience.

Assessment

Assessment will occur on the basis of the established end goals for each grade. For each subject, a number of goals should be established for students to attain in order to pass the grade. The way in which students arrive at these goals should be differentiated according to the abilities and needs of each student. When assessment occurs, this should be on the same basis. Students should be assessed in a way that establishes their abilities in a supportive manner rather than in a punitive one.

Again, at my institution, this is a substantial departure from the way in which things have been done in the past. However, it is important to help students become better and at the same time to also improve the pass rate of the school. Because of our changing demographic, we can no longer adhere to the status quo and must search for new ways to more effectively prepare young people for higher education.

Resources

Because of the existing status quo at the school, it is estimated that substantial resources will be required to initiate, implement, and support the change in an effective way. First, training personnel will be required for each grade to help initiate the change. Teachers should be allowed to ask questions and raise concerns during these sessions. At the end of each training session, the main goal should be that all teachers involved would be excited and ready to implement the change. Another resource, after training, would be online and printed materials that teachers could consult at their leisure if any reinforcement of information is necessary.

It is expected that the funding for these resources would be substantial. A full assessment of the required payment for training personnel and materials will be established prior to the start of the program. Because this is in the interest of education and the future of the workforce, it is possible to apply for government funding.

Professional Development

As mentioned, substantial professional development would be required to help teachers implement the new system. Each grade's teachers will be trained for a given period of time prior to implementation.

What is most important is to help teachers understand and become excited about the importance of implementing the new system.