TIERED INSTRUCTION A PLANNING STRATEGY FOR MIXED-ABILITY CLASSROOMS “A Different Spin on an Old Idea.” Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

What words, phrases, or images come to mind when you hear the term tiered instruction? Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

Teachers can’t possibly individualize for 30 kids, so they need to plan using “user friendly” strategies to address different readiness levels, interests, and student profiles. Tiered instruction allows the teacher to make slight adjustments within the same lesson or unit for different learners. A teacher will only tier when it makes sense for the kids and the concepts or skills being taught.

What can be tiered? A. Activities B. Assessments C. Writing Prompts D.HomeworkHomework E.All of the aboveAll of the above Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

Sorry, Wrong Answer Click here to go to the question Click here to go to the answer

Answer: What can be tiered? You are CORRECT. The answer is E. Other items you can tier are the following: –Assignments –Learning Centers and Stations –Learning Contracts –Materials –Experiments Go to next slide.

With a little thought, almost any classroom activity can be tiered. Two or three tiers is usually best for implementation. However, a teacher who is experienced and comfortable with the strategy may have more tiers if it facilitates the instruction or better meets the needs of the students.

What is Tiered Instruction? Teachers use tiered activities so that all students focus on essential understandings and skills but at different levels of complexity, abstractness, and open- endedness. By keeping the focus of the activity the same, but providing routes of access at varying degrees of difficulty, the teacher maximizes the likelihood: 1) Each student comes away with pivotal skills & understandings. 2) Each student is appropriately challenged. Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

The First Step What is your goal for student learning? After determining that goal, where are your students in relationship to reaching that goal? –Are they struggling? –Are they ready to learn? –Are they advanced beyond the concept and ready for something else?

Creating Multiple Paths For Learning Key Concept or Understanding Struggling With The Concept Some Understanding Understand The Concept Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

Reaching Back Readiness Levels Reaching Ahead Second Step: Where are your students when it comes to readiness?

The next slide shows a graphic that represents a sequence for planning a tiered activity or assignment. There is nothing sacred about three groups--- the teacher may want to use two groups or as many as four or five. Assessment, diagnosis, and prescription are integral to the use of this strategy. The strategy itself is very visible and viable and usually makes sense to students and parents.

IDENTIFY OUTCOMES WHAT SHOULD THE STUDENTS KNOW, UNDERSTAND, OR BE ABLE TO DO? THINK ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS PRE-ASSESS READINESS, INTEREST, OR LEARNING PROFILE INITIATING ACTIVITIES USE AS COMMON EXPERIENCE FOR WHOLE CLASS GROUP 1 TASK GROUP 2 TASK GROUP 3 TASK Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

How can you use tiered assignments in your classroom?

THE TEACHER’S CHALLENGE Developing “Respectful Activities” Interesting Engaging Challenging Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

No student should look at the task and say to themselves, : I guess I’m in the dumb group.” The key to developing good tiered activities is to design them so that they are just above the level of the learner. This helps students stretch and build from where they are. Challenging and supporting students at their levels of understanding will help them become successful learners.

Another method for developing tiered assignments or activities is to first develop an on-level task and then make slight adjustments up or down. Some tasks in each tier may be the same while others might be changed to match student readiness levels. Factors from the six-step framework should still be considered in this planning process.

Planning Tiered Assignments Concept to be Understood OR Skill to be Mastered Below-Level Task On-Level Task Above-Level Task Create on-level task first then adjust up and down. “Adjusting the Task” Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

When Tiering... Adjust--- Level of Complexity Amount of Structure Materials Time/Pace Number of Steps Form of Expression Level of Dependence Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

What is the D.I. Equalizer? A.A Television Show on CBSA Television Show on CBS B.A Graphic Organizer to help in planning D.I. ActivitiesA Graphic Organizer to help in planning D.I. Activities C.An administrator who will review all D.I. projectsAn administrator who will review all D.I. projects D.A Musical Program for StudentsA Musical Program for Students

Answer: The Equalizer The answer is “B.” Dr. Carol Tomlinson from the University of Virginia has developed an instrument called “The Equalizer” that can be used by teachers to consider different factors that can be adjusted to provide challenge and success.

The “Equalizer” 1. FoundationalTransformational 2. ConcreteAbstract 3. SimpleComplex 4. Fewer FacetsMulti-facets 5. Smaller Leap Greater Leap 6. More StructuredMore Open 7. Clearly Defined ProblemsFuzzy Problems 8. Less IndependenceGreater Independence 9. SlowerQuicker Source: Montgomery County Public Schools,

The equalizer works in the same way that you might adjust the volume on your stereo. The teacher uses the equalizer as a planning tool to think about the kinds of adjustments that might be made for struggling, on- level, and advanced learners. This is an attempt to match the task with readiness levels of the students. It is not necessary to adjust all nine equalizer buttons for each activity.

Resources for Tiered Assignments In your binder is a section on Tiered Assignments. Briefly review examples of Tiered Assignments. Here are some internet resources: – _/tiered_assignments_template.dochttp:// _/tiered_assignments_template.doc – curriculum/gifted/TieredAssignments.dochttp:// curriculum/gifted/TieredAssignments.doc –Tiered InstructionTiered Instruction