1. Tiering Info, SLE application EDI
Group by grade/content alike so groups can share

2. PLC: Professional Learning Communities 4 Crucial Questions
Preparing
Sorting
& Analyzing
SLE, Iowa Core
Scaffold & Deconstructing
Rubrics, SMART goals
What do we want each student to learn, know, or be able to do?
What evidence do we have of the learning?
Formative and Summative Assessments
Student Self –Assessment
Identifying
Learning Needs
Differentiating
Instruction
How will we respond when some students don’t learn?
Differentiated Strategies
Considering: Interest, Profile, and Readiness
and
Content, Process, Product, Learning Environment
How will we respond to those who have already learned?

3. Role of Assessment Cassandra Erkens, 2008 Anam Cara Consulting, Inc

4. Be thinking about how you might tier activities.
Reflection If…then…
Individual Profile
Interests
Readiness
Content
Process
Product
Learning Environment
Be thinking about how you might tier activities.

5. Differentiated Instruction Continuum
Not
Differentiated
Highly
Differentiated
“One-Size-Fits-All”
Assessment
Learning Profile
Tiered Activities
Curriculum Compacting
Learning Contracts
Independent Study
Flexible Grouping
Anchor Activities
Learning Centers/Stations
Problem-Based Learning
Project-Based Learning

6. Instruction can be differentiated for individual profiles, interests, and readiness by adjusting:
Content – what students will learn and the materials that represent that learning
Process – methods students use to make sense of the content
Product – how students will demonstrate what they know, understand or are able to do
Learning Environment – the culture and surroundings in which students learn best

7. SDE’s Tiering Definition
Tiering is a strategy that enables educators to address one concept at multiple levels of complexity based on students’ readiness levels in order to ensure student success.

8. Remember…
“More Complex”
does not mean more work
and
“Fair”
is not always equal.

9. Ensuring the content standards are met for all students
Tiering IS…
Driven by assessment
Providing opportunities for all students to learn the same concepts at varying levels of complexity
Ensuring the content standards are met for all students

10. X Tiering is NOT: An IEP for each student Choice for students Tracking
Used every day X
Tiering is NOT:
An IEP for each student: Some teachers think that they must create a tiered assignment for each student. This is not the case. You want to think about groups of students. You might have 15 students at one readiness level and 10 students at a different readiness level. These students may be working in small groups or working individually.
Choice for students: Tiering is a very deliberate planning strategy for the teacher. Students do not get to choose which tier they want to work in. The purpose of tiering is to meet the needs of the students as close to their readiness levels as possible so they can experience success. We place students in groups with certain tasks that they will be successful with based on our assessment. However, there can be student choice within the teacher-selected tier. Within a given tier, there can be a choice of Activity A or Activity B and/or choices about the products used to show understandings.
Tracking: Tracking is always having set groups, such as low, middle, and high, regardless of the lesson being taught. Tiering, in contrast, uses flexible grouping and takes into account that readiness levels may vary from lesson to lesson, unit to unit, or standard to standard. Because the grouping is flexible, there is not a set number of tiers. Sometimes you will have only two and sometimes you may need as many as four or even five versions of an assignment or activity, depending on the readiness levels of the students in the class.

11. Unpack the Standards
You may want to point out that standards have to be broken down or “unpacked” into smaller objectives and learning targets that will guide instruction. Along the journey to mastery of the standards, tiered assignments provide support for students who struggle with learning targets and provide challenge for students who need it. You are not necessarily tiering the standard, but the smaller goals to reach the standard.
For example, if your standard is about writing a technical piece, that standard can be broken down into smaller learning targets that will represent the steps along the way to mastering the standard of technical writing. What do students need to know in order to get to the standard of mastering technical writing? One learning target along the way might be the concept of voice and how to appropriately use it. You may create tiered lessons to address the concept of recognizing and using voice in technical writing.

12. CONCEPT: Story Setting

13. ALL STUDENTS WILL: Tiering Example: Story Setting
Be given a story to read
Be required to take notes on the characters and setting
Be required to make a poster
All students will:
Be given a story to read. —The reading level of the material will be varied to match the reading levels of the students.
Be required to take notes on the characters and setting. —Some students will be given a graphic organizer to help them take notes.
Be required to make a poster. —All students make a poster to give information about the story setting. Those at a higher readiness level give slightly more complex information on how the setting affects the characters.

14. CONCEPT: Story Setting
Just Right: Think about the setting in the story you have read. Using words and pictures, create a poster that shows how the setting affects the characters and their actions in the story.
Less Complex Task (Loosened): Think about the setting in the story you have read. Using words and pictures, create a poster that shows the setting of your story.
The “just right” activity is the one that for most of the students in the class will be challenging, will be interesting, and will support developing an understanding of the concept. The other version has been “loosened,” or is less complex, and is a better match for some of the students’ assessed readiness levels.
Notice that for this tiered assignment there are two tiers and not three as there were in the energizer example.
The teacher could ask students to work independently or in groups or a combination of individual and small-group work as the various parts of the assignment are completed.

15. What was varied in the tiered assignments?
Tiering Example: Story Setting
What was varied in the tiered assignments?
Reference Material
Task Structure
Demonstration of Understanding
Review the bullet points about what was varied:
Reference Material: The materials were based on reading level; they might also be varied by interest.
Task Structure: There were different amounts of support for note taking .
Demonstration of Understanding: The tasks were at different challenge levels: one task requires more synthesis and evaluation.

16. Tiering Example: Story Setting
What was constant in the tiered assignments?
The concept of Story Setting
Reading a text
Taking notes and applying knowledge
The product: creating a poster to show what they learned
Review these points about what was constant.

17. Let’s try it! With your table team, try adding a tier assignment on the next 2 slides.

18. EXAMPLE: READING Elementary
CONCEPT: Reading comprehension of persuasive text
More Complex Task (Tightened): With your group, examine two newspaper advertisements, paying special attention to the word choice. Design your own advertisement to promote your new product, a homework-completing robot, and be prepared to explain why you chose the words you did.
Just Right: With your group, examine two newspaper advertisements. Circle words that are used to persuade the consumer. Which advertisement did a better job persuading you? Why?
Less Complex Task (Loosened):
Less Complex Task (Loosened): With the teacher and your group members, examine two newspaper advertisements. Use a highlighter to highlight words that are used to make you want to buy the product.
LOOSEN IT 18

19. EXAMPLE: LANGUAGE ARTS Elementary
CONCEPT: Story elements (Setting)
TIGHTEN IT
More Complex Task (Tightened):
Just Right: Think about the setting in the story you have read. Using words and pictures, create a poster that shows how the setting affects the characters and their actions in the story.
Less Complex Task (Loosened): Think about the setting in the story you have read. Using words and pictures, create a poster that shows the setting of your story.
Possible response:
More Complex Task (Tightened): Think about the setting in the book and how that influences what happens in the story. How is that similar to or different from how the setting in which you live affects your life?

20. Key Concepts of Tiering
Each task is centered on the same concept.
Level of complexity varies to address different readiness levels.
In all of the examples, the students should feel okay about working on them because the tasks were similar.
Reflect on these key points.
Note about Response to Intervention (RTI):
The term “tiering” can be confusing because it is also used in RTI. RTI is a general education initiative that structures support for students at-risk for academic and behavioral problems. The RTI framework has specific, defined levels of intervention identified by numbered tiers. The numbered RTI tiers are different from what is happening with tiering in the context of differentiating instruction. In a DI classroom, “tiering” refers to the planning strategy a teacher uses to respond to different levels of student readiness. Therefore, in an effort to reduce the possible confusion, tiers in this module are not numbered, but rather they are referred to as “just right,” “loosened,” and “tightened.”

21. When should I tier? When some have it and some don’t As needed
Review these points about when to tier. When some students have already mastered the content and others have not quite grasped it. You can see this on pre-assessment results and observation. You can also see this as you “check for understanding” when assessing formatively.
When some students need more time on the content and others are ready to move on. This could mean that a group of students will need more modeling, more examples, more practice, more independence, or more depth and/or complexity.
When the need arises—not everyday, just periodically.
Note on grading:
Participants may ask you how to grade tiered assignments when the students are working at different levels of complexity. You can respond that tiered assignments usually are summative assessments so are not graded. If you do need to assign points, students on all tiers need to be eligible for the same number of points. Refer to the Trainer Notes on grading at the end of Module II.

22. Important Points two centered assessments
Lessons tiered according to the readiness of the student will consist of ____ or more levels, but the work required for each level should be equally engaging and challenging.
The reason to tier is to meet the learners where they are with an appropriately leveled activity that is __________ on the learning objective.
You cannot effectively tier unless you have ______________ to back your decisions on how you grouped your students and how you created the tiers.
two
centered
assessments
(Answers slide in on mouse click.)

23. Important Points share engaging teacher
You might consider having students _ their work among the tiers so that they can learn from each other.
All students need to be involved in respectful, , and challenging work.
There should be support for every tier.
share
engaging
teacher
(Answers slide in on mouse click.)
Optional talking point:
The Important Point that says “There should be teacher support for every tier” may make some teachers say “But there’s only one teacher and so many students!” Although there might only be one teacher in the classroom, there should be systems in the classroom that enable students to receive teacher help when needed without constantly interrupting the teacher. Some ideas for managing this will be discussed in Module V on Managing the Differentiated Classroom. (For example, “See 3 Before Me,” posting a question on a Question Board, only the group facilitator can ask the teacher a question, etc.) Generally in tiering, the teacher usually supports the “loosened” group activity more than the other groups. If each group clearly knows what is expected of them and has the tools to complete the task, then the teacher is more likely to be able to spend time with the group that needs her/him the most.

24. grade-level standards
Important Points
Tiering is not “watering down” the standards. The goal is for all students to master the ____________________.
Treat tiered assignments as just part of what goes on in the classroom from time to time. Do not make an _____ out of tiered assignments. When a student questions why assignments are different for different groups of students, respond by stressing that this is what is best for everyone today.
grade-level standards
issue
(Answers slide in on mouse click.)
Optional talking point:
The Important Point that notes that tiered assignments are “just part of what goes on in the classroom from time to time” may be hard for some students to accept, particularly when tiering is new to a classroom. Another way of approaching this is to explain that the different assignments in the room will bring out and demonstrate different perspectives on the topic. Students may learn new ideas and information from hearing their peers’ different perspectives and approaches to the topic being studied.

25. Important Points fair equal
It is important to explain to the whole class before tiering begins that “____ is not ______.” Fair is providing what a student needs. Students need to understand that all of them have strengths and all have growth opportunities. Let students know they are all working on the same content, they are just approaching it differently.
fair
equal
(Answers slide in on mouse click.)
Optional talking point:
The concept of “fair is not always equal” can be challenging for some students. Another way to explain it is to say “Equal is when everyone gets the same thing; fair is when you get what you need.”

26. Important Points flexible similar nature
Use _______ grouping. Students should move in and out of groups based on assessments for each lesson or unit.
Try to make the tasks _________ across the tiers.
It is important when tiering tasks to change the _______ of the assignment and not the workload. Activities across the tiers should vary in complexity.
flexible
similar
nature
(Answers slide in on mouse click.)
Optional talking points:
On the final Important Point about “change the nature of the assignment and not the workload,” it might help put that into context: Students on any of the more complex tiers should not be given more work. If other components are brought in for comparing, contrasting, relating, etc., the teacher can supply the student with this extra information or materials needed to complete the task. The student does not need to take on the added workload of researching additional information. For example: If the concept is “characteristics of mammals” and the students on a particular tier are asked to compare these with characteristics of reptiles, the information on reptiles would be supplied by the teacher.
Explain that the Think-Write-Pair-Share activity with the Important Points is an example of cued notes which is a strategy teachers can use with their students. After a chunk of learning has been delivered, students use a word bank to fill in the blanks on a handout and also write down any additional information they think is important. Then the students share their answers and comments with their peers and talk about the differences. The teacher reviews the correct answers for all the statements with the class. This note-taking strategy ensures that all students have the need-to-know information, promotes discussion and interaction, and provides an alternative for the “copy off the board” note-taking strategy.

27. Factors that can influence complexity of a tiered lesson:
Required degree of thinking
Level of abstraction or depth
Degree of structure
Learning resources
Degree of teacher assistance and support
Level of Abstraction or Depth: Tasks can vary from very concrete to more abstract. Tasks can also vary in depth. Depth does not mean “piling on” more work. Depth refers to things such as identifying patterns, looking at trends, exploring unanswered questions, exploring multiple points of view, seeing the big picture, and introducing specialized vocabulary.
Degree of Structure: Certain tasks or assignments could have very clearly defined parameters and others might be more open-ended.
Learning Resources: Resources can vary by quantity from a single resource used to multiple resources used and by complexity from using resources based on reading levels, resources that have introductory information to resources that have more in-depth, sophisticated, or technical information.
Degree of Teacher Assistance and Support: Sometimes the task is very teacher-directed and sometimes the teacher is more of a facilitator. There are also times when students are working independently

28. What do I need to know in order to plan a tiered lesson?
The standards and learning targets along the way
Ways to assess students to determine their readiness
Ways to design various activities at different levels of complexity
Ways to manage the flexible groups
Other
Give one minute of “think time” to consider this question. After one minute, ask participants to share their thoughts with a partner for one minute. Then reverse the roles so that each partner has a chance to share.
After discussion, share the responses on the slide. Click for each to appear. These are not in the resource book, so give participants time to copy the ideas into their resource books.

29. Activity – (Partners by content or grade)
Choose an SLE (scaffold as needed)
Write a tiered activity for the SLE
Use Depth of Knowledge framework to examine the activity.
What is the level of thinking required for each tier?
How can you create each tier with a high level of complexity?
Re-write if needed.
Share with other teams

30. Team Planning
Choose a SLE based on student data showing a need for differentiation within core.
As a team, define proficiency and scaffold as needed.
Create a tiered activity using the scaffold.
Share with other grade level teams.

31. Extra Tiering Slides – Add One Element
Use if you want to practice.
Use as examples
Use Normal View to see responses in notes section of PowerPoint

32. EXAMPLE: MATH Elementary
CONCEPT: Patterns
TIGHTEN IT
More Complex Task (Tightened):
Just Right: Students are given a pile of “jewels” from a craft store. The students are to identify all the patterns they can make with the jewels.
Less Complex Task (Loosened): Students are given a pile of colorful “jewels” from a craft store. The students are to make patterns similar to the ones the teacher has made. For example, if the teacher makes a pattern of red, blue, yellow, and green, then the student should make that pattern.
Possible response:
More Complex Task (Tightened): Students will create patterns with the “jewels” and then represent their patterns with letters.

33. EXAMPLE: MATH Elementary
CONCEPT: Two-digit multiplication
More Complex Task (Tightened): With your partner, create two word problems that require 2-digit multiplication to solve. Solve your new problems and use “teacher talk” to explain the process. If your partner agrees with your explanation and answer, have him/her autograph your problem. Switch roles.
Just Right: With your partner, read the word problems and solve using two-digit multiplication. Use “teacher talk” to explain the process. If your partner agrees with your answer, have him/her autograph your problem. Switch roles.
Less Complex Task (Loosened):
Possible response:
Less Complex Task (Loosened): With your partner, solve the two-digit multiplication problems. Use the multiplication chart if needed. Use “teacher talk” to explain the process. If your partner agrees with your answer, have him/her autograph your problem. Switch roles.
LOOSEN IT 33

34. EXAMPLE: MATH Elementary
CONCEPT: Number sequence
TIGHTEN IT
More Complex Task (Tightened):
Just Right: With your group, deal the one- and two-digit cards in the deck. Keep your cards face down in front of you. Each person turns over one card. As a group, put the number cards in order from least to greatest. Repeat until all cards have been played.
Less Complex Task (Loosened): With your group, deal the one-digit cards in the deck. Keep your cards face down in front of you. Each person turns over one card. As a group, put the number cards in order from least to greatest. Repeat until all cards have been played.
Possible response:
More Complex Task (Tightened): With your group, deal the one-, two-, and three-digit cards in the deck. Keep the cards face down in front of you. Each person turns over one card. As a group, put the number cards in order from least to greatest. Repeat until all cards have been played. 34

35. EXAMPLE: READING Elementary
CONCEPT: Reading comprehension of persuasive text
More Complex Task (Tightened): With your group, examine two newspaper advertisements, paying special attention to the word choice. Design your own advertisement to promote your new product, a homework-completing robot, and be prepared to explain why you chose the words you did.
Just Right: With your group, examine two newspaper advertisements. Circle words that are used to persuade the consumer. Which advertisement did a better job persuading you? Why?
Less Complex Task (Loosened):
Possible response:
Less Complex Task (Loosened): With the teacher and your group members, examine two newspaper advertisements. Use a highlighter to highlight words that are used to make you want to buy the product.
LOOSEN IT 35

36. EXAMPLE: LANGUAGE ARTS Elementary
CONCEPT: Story elements (Setting)
TIGHTEN IT
More Complex Task (Tightened):
Just Right: Think about the setting in the story you have read. Using words and pictures, create a poster that shows how the setting affects the characters and their actions in the story.
Less Complex Task (Loosened): Think about the setting in the story you have read. Using words and pictures, create a poster that shows the setting of your story.
Possible response:
More Complex Task (Tightened): Think about the setting in the book and how that influences what happens in the story. How is that similar to or different from how the setting in which you live affects your life?

37. EXAMPLE: SOCIAL STUDIES Elementary
CONCEPT: American symbolism
More Complex Task (Tightened): Using your textbook for reference, create a colored poster displaying each of the following: the American flag, the state flag, the state bird, and the state flower. Be prepared to share the significance of each of the items. Practice the Pledge of Allegiance and / or The National Anthem and be prepared to perform it for the class. Why do you think that having a National Anthem and Pledge is important?
Just Right: Using your textbook for reference, create a colored poster labeling and displaying each of the following: the American flag, the state flag, the state bird, and the state flower. Practice the Pledge of Allegiance and / or The National Anthem and be prepared to perform it for the class.
Less Complex Task (Loosened):
Possible response:
Less Complex Task (Loosened): Using your textbook and the handouts, color and label each of the following: the American flag, the State flag, the State bird, and the State flower. Practice the Pledge of Allegiance and be prepared to perform it for the class.
LOOSEN IT 37

38. EXAMPLE: MATH Middle School
CONCEPT: Characteristics of triangles
More Complex Task (Tightened): Examine how triangles can be used in your everyday life or in our society, and how their characteristics make them uniquely appropriate for these functions. Illustrate these characteristics and purposes by creating a 3-D model or a poster. Include written descriptions or labels.
Just Right: Compare and contrast the characteristics of triangles and the characteristics of another geometric shape. The teacher will provide you with the characteristics of the other shape. Illustrate these characteristics by creating a 3-D model or a poster. Include written descriptions or labels.
Less Complex Task (Loosened):
Possible response:
Less Complex Task (Loosened): Describe the characteristics of triangles. Illustrate these characteristics by creating a 3-D model or a poster. Include written descriptions or labels.
Student could use different types of triangles in these assignments: scalene, isosceles, or equilateral.
LOOSEN IT 38

39. EXAMPLE: LANGUAGE ARTS Middle School
CONCEPT: Idioms
More Complex Task (Tightened): Create an idiom of your own. Use pictures and words to illustrate several different situations in which that idiom could be used. Include the idiom’s true meaning in the illustration.
Just Right: The teacher will provide you with a list of common idioms. Choose two idioms with similar true meanings. How are they same? How are they different? Illustrate these similarities and differences through pictures and words. Include the true meanings of the idioms.
Less Complex Task (Loosened):
Possible response:
Less Complex Task (Loosened): The teacher will provide you with a list of common idioms. Choose one of the idioms and illustrate its true meaning. Include pictures and words in your illustration.
LOOSEN IT 39

40. EXAMPLE: SCIENCE Middle School
CONCEPT: Rock cycle
More Complex Task (Tightened): As a group, research and discuss the rock cycle. Determine how excessive changes in the environment could affect each segment of the rock cycle. These changes may include excessive heat, rain, drought, flooding, cold, etc. Create a short skit depicting these changes. Include key vocabulary words.
Just Right: As a group, research and discuss the rock cycle. Determine how the rock cycle is similar to another cycle. The teacher will provide you with the information on the other cycles from which you can choose. Create a short skit depicting these similarities. Include key vocabulary words.
Less Complex Task (Loosened):
Possible response:
Less Complex Task (Loosened): As a group, research and discuss the rock cycle. You can use the internet, the textbook, or your own notes. Create a short skit depicting the rock cycle. Include key vocabulary words.
LOOSEN IT 40

41. EXAMPLE: U.S. HISTORY Middle/High School
CONCEPT: Social, economic, and technological changes
of the early 20th century
TIGHTEN IT
More Complex Task (Tightened):
Just Right: With a partner, study this photo from the Great Depression. Create a poster comparing and contrasting your home and the home you see in the photograph. Explain how this room may have been used by the family and why.
Less Complex Task (Loosened): With a partner, study this photo from the Great Depression. Create a poster that shows the people you see in the photo. Add call-outs of what they might be saying to each other that accurately reflect the time period.
Possible response:
More Complex Task (Tightened): With a partner, study this photo from the Great Depression. Create a poster that demonstrates the social and economic impact of the Great Depression on this family and others. Use examples from the photo to support your points. 41

42. EXAMPLE: READING Elementary
CONCEPT: Reading comprehension of persuasive text
More Complex Task (Tightened): With your group, examine 2 newspaper advertisements, paying special attention to the word choice. Design your own advertisement to promote your new product, a homework-completing robot, and be prepared to explain why you chose the words you did.
Just Right: With your group, examine 2 newspaper advertisements. Circle words that are used to persuade the consumer. Which advertisement did a better job persuading you? Why? 42