Differentiation, Grades and High Expectations

Something I keep wrestling with is how to give differentiated grades when I give differentiated instruction.

I just attended a seminar on Differentiation and Equity. It seems like the information I get is always from folks teaching lower grades and non-technical subjects. I was pleased when the presenter ventured close to my territory with an example from Science. http://www.angelamaiers.com/2008/08/differentiation.html


For an English Language Learner (which is one dimension I differentiate along) the presentater gave the following examples as an expected and adequate response:

Native speaker: Matter changes on earth most often as a result of chemical processes.
New English Speaker: Matter changes.

Question: What does it mean to give a "A" to both students?

The answer supplied was that the ABCD grading system doesn't provide adequate descriptions for this case. A 4321 system would be more appropiate. (gee - wouldn't you think 4=A and so on? N0. 4 means meets the standard, 3, 2 and 1 are degrees of approacing the standard).

So the New English Speaker might get a 1 for his answer to indicate that progress has started towards the standards. But she wouldn't feel the New English Speaker deserved a D. No better suggestion than change the grading system was forthcoming.

-------RATS----- I was hoping for the answer!!!

Here's my current thought. Let's agree on terms first.

Differentiation means we provide many paths to our students to reach the SAME goals.

I’m going to offer this definition without citation. Mostly because I can’t find a brief citation to note, and also because I don’t think the definition is controversial.

Accommodation can include CHANGING the goals to accommodate a students abilities and needs.

“Accommodation may involve the use of modified instructional techniques, more flexible administrative practices, modified academic requirements (emphasis mine), or any compensatory activity that emphasizes the use of stronger, more intact capabilities or that provides modified or alternative educational processes and/or goals. “
Chapter 6
SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS Price, Mayfield, McFadden, and Marsh Copyright © 2000-2001 Parrot Publishing, L.L.C.

I think the reason I struggle to know how to give a differentiated grade for differentiated work is because that ain’t what I got. I got work done by students that I have given an accommodation to.

It is a real problem to name what’s being done with the name of accommodation because it brings up issues of equity, having high expectations, and not discriminating. I 100% agree that we shouldn't label ESL students as "special needs" which the accomodation tag implies As a matter of principle I would say that a teacher would really not be allowed to provide an accommodation that involved an modification of an academic requirement short of directions from a special ed authority. And yet, I think that’s what we do. I think the example of the two different answers that are deemed acceptable in the science class is an accommodation and that’s why it’s hard to talk about grading it. I’ve got another example from an educator who’s IN the classroom and I think it illuminates the same point.

(Ed. Note, I used the term “High Expectations” above. Whenever I write "High Expectations" please genuflect upon reading the term. The term is a non-negotiable matter of faith in our modern education creed and should be shown god-like respect. Terms like "Achievable Expectations", "Realistic Expectations", "Obtainable Expectations", and "Sensible Expectations", are anathema.).

I ask the reader to consider the following excerpt “differentiating the Islamic empire”. The author finds differentiating for “readiness” to be the hardest. This is a secondary teacher with a Master Teaching License. His ‘out’ is that he allows the students to choose which of the tasks they will do under readiness and so he eliminates the equity issue. I wonder if the smarter students might not choose the easiest task! (DO YOU THINK!!!????) and thus lower the expectations for everyone.

The writer avoids this trap as follows:
assertion #1: The critical element in this lesson was that I gave students a choice.

but

fact #2: the "A" students were expected to select one of two assignment choices I had perceived as challenging

HELLO! That’s making an accommodation for the non-A students. In educspeak we would prefer to say we were enriching the A students.

Whatever you call it the question remains.
A student takes the 1st readiness task and performs to expectation.
A student takes the 5th readiness task and performs to expectation
What grade does each student get? I DUNNO! The point is not addressed by the writer. I think that each student who does any of the 5 tasks and meets all points in the rubric should get an A. But they haven't all acheived the same high expecation - hmmm - thus my conundrum. What do YOU think the grading should be?????


From: http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/voice/voice143.shtml

DIFFERENTIATING THE ISLAMIC EMPIRE
After the students and I had read and discussed some of the background information from our textbook, I devised a day of differentiated comprehension activities. I attempted to combine all three aspects of differentiation: topical interest, readiness, and learning style.
Topical Interest. Each student would choose to focus on one of two topics, each a state instructional indicator.
· How ancient Baghdad developed into an opulent society via trade (rather than conquest)
· Cultural contributions of the medieval Arab/Islamic world
Readiness. For me, the critical stumbling block toward readiness differentiation has always been How can I present different levels of instruction without making any student feel inferior?* For this lesson, I developed five activities from which students could choose. I developed activities with the students' classroom grade averages in mind. For example,
· With my "A" students in mind, I created the most abstract assignment: I presented 17 objects that symbolized lifestyle advances in Baghdad or scientific and/or cultural advances spurred by medieval Islam. The objects ranged from a croquet mallet (representing the invention of polo) to a test tube (symbolizing the introduction of chemistry). Students could select any ten items and write an explanation of how each was representative of a milestone.
· I gave another assignment with my "A" students in mind: Write a poem to demonstrate your knowledge of one of the two instructional indicators. (See Topical Interest above.)
· With my "B" and "C" students in mind, I presented two other assignments: Create a display board related to either of the topics/indicators, or draw pictographs to represent key Arab contributions or elements of affluent life in Baghdad.
· At the other end of the spectrum, with my low-average students -- and a specific one-page segment of the textbook text -- in mind, I gave the following assignment: Read page 126 and create a bullet-point list of Arab/Islamic contributions.
Learning Style. The assignments targeted a couple of Howard Gardner's intelligences. Comprehension and writing promote linguistic intelligence. The display board and pictograph activities targeted visual/spatial intelligence. In addition, with the possible exception of the last activity, all the choices challenged students to use high-level thinking skills to create a product.
The critical element in this lesson was that I gave students a choice. No student was kept from "climbing the ladder." While the "A" students were expected to select one of two assignment choices I had perceived as challenging, the other students had five activity options.
On the day set aside for this activity period, I met with each task group to clarify lingering questions about instructions and expectations, and to give students an opportunity to share some of their ideas. Students had the entire period to complete the activity. Many students ended up completing their work at home.


*Note - I submit that this teacher has trouble offering easier requirements to students without making them feel inferior for just the same reason that I have trouble knowing what it means to give the same grade to differentiated work. He has actually given an accmodattion to his lower performing students. He does NOT have the same thinking standard and therefore learning standard for them. I COULDN'T DO ANY BETTER and I feel just as conflicted. I submit it's because we're not allowed to give the right name to what we do.