SEC520 Differentiation Case Study

Differentiation is an important component of a lesson plan because it guides the teacher in meeting the diverse needs of all students during instruction. In the planning process teachers must observe the students or review academic data in order to determine when and how to differentiate. Sometimes, there may be discrepancies between formative and summative data for individual students. Students may demonstrate mastery of concepts on formative assessments, but do not demonstrate mastery in a summative assessment.

Differentiation includes a full spectrum of accommodations and modifications, in order to enrich or remediate to meet the needs of diverse students. Gifted and high-achieving students are often overlooked when it comes to differentiation, but are no less important than the student who needs intervention. As part of the planning process, it is important to consider enriching the learning experiences for gifted and high-achieving students. Enrichment does not mean more work; it means creating opportunities for students to develop deeper levels of understanding.