Position Paper

Malika Romine
Bloomsburg University
In the article Differentiated Instruction and Educational Standards: Is Dtente
Possible? written by McTighe and Brown (2005) ask the question they are really
asking is how can teachers ease the discrepancy or rather strained relationship
between differentiated instruction and standard driven expectations and can they
coexist. Following educational legislative law NCLB plus current research based
methods counterproductive practices will occur such as an overload of curricula,
teaching to the standardized test, and one size should fit all instruction and
assignments.
McTighe and Brown (2005) advocate an approach that recommends that
students participate in an education that addresses rigorous content while
honoring differences in learners prior knowledge, interests, and preferred
learning styles. (p. 236)
The authors have concluded that the two can and should function together, when
implementing a backward-design framework into instructional planning.
The first stage in the backward design framework includes planning with both
content and learners in mind. Here standards and big ideas will be addressed. The
instructor will target her lessons to address significant gaps in students prior
knowledge and skill levels. K-W-L charts and pre-tests will be a resourceful preassessment before giving instruction. This way the teacher will be able to create
tiered grouping and centers for differentiated instruction.
Next stage will involve teachers thinking about assessments and what assessments
will best show evidence of understand the concepts in stage one. According to
Wiggins and Mctighe (1998) understanding is best revealed within real-world tasks
and projects through various facetswhen learners can explain, interpret, apply,
shift perspective, display empathy, and reflectively self-asses. Paper/pencil tests is
one formal assessment teachers can give students to check for understanding;
however, more open-ended performance tasks should be uses as well. These types
of assessments take time, because the teacher will have to create varied
assessments and rubrics. Children should also be continuously engaged in selfreflection and self-assessment. (p. 239).
The final stage is called the learning plan. The teacher will enforce a good balance
between constructive learning experiences, structured activities, and direct
instruction. (p. 240) The teacher support will lessen as students are able to selfregulate and monitor progress on goals and objectives the teacher has for them.
This holistic approach will require carefully organized learning experiences.

Position Paper
The concluding thoughts are that teachers can address grade level content and
differentiated instructions. The backwards framework looks are what will be taught,
how will it be assessed and then instruction.

Work Cited
McTighe, J., & L. Brown, J. (2015). Differentiated Instruction and Educational
Standards: Is Dentente Possible? Proquest Education Journals, 234-244.