Differentiated Instruction
Instruction at UPCS must be differentiated to reach UPCS’ goal of preparing all students for success in college admission with admission by open lottery and a no tracking policy. Teachers get to know the skills, learning styles and interests of their students and tailor thier instruction to meet the needs of every individual student within a common classroom. In this program of differentiated instruction, every student is challenged appropriately. Below are the critical elements of UPCS’ program of differentiated instruction:
Culture of Collective Responsibility: The culture at UPCS is one where students take a collective responsibility for success. Students consider helping their peers understand material as part what it means to be a student at UPCS.
Emphasis on group work: All classes at UPCS have an emphasis on group work, a key method for differentiating instruction. Students are grouped intentionally in groups that very depending on the activity. In some cases, teachers will groups students with a wide range of prior understanding so that the more advanced students can support those who have not yet fully grasped the material. In other activities, teachers will group students of similar levels. This allows faster students to complete extensions and dig more deeply into the material while the teacher can focus attention on the students who struggle more. Group activities with specific roles, such as literature circles, create a forum where weaker students can contribute equally to the success of the group by taking on a role the challenges them just enough.
Constant Formative Assessment: Teachers at UPCS are expert at formatively assessing student understanding and adapting and individualizing their curricula to address any weaknesses. Writing to learn activities help teachers to measure student progress and ensure that they have achieved the necessary understandings before high-stakes, end-of-unit, or end-of-course tests.
All Teaching is One-on-One: Instruction is individualized at UPCS. Teachers adapt activities to address the specific strengths, weaknesses, and learning style of each student. This type of classroom takes additional prep work on the part of teachers, but it is necessary to help all students catch up and prepare for college. Some ways that teachers individualize and differentiate instruction include:
- Assigning extension activities to students who are moving faster through material
- Careful selection of group members and roles
- Assigning activities that offer students multiple entry points and provide a level of complexity that students of all levels are able to both engage the material and be challenged.
- Assigning additional reading to students
- Varying the amount of scaffolding given to student (e.g. some students will use manipulatives to solve math problems while others may not)
- Assigning students varying activities with the same class
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