Differentiated Instruction

Went to see Ms. Caroline Tomlinson at UVA. She is the expert in "teaching in a differentiated way". Her words on her school web:

Major research interests include differentiation of instruction for academically diverse learners including teacher and administrator attitudes and practices related to academic diversity, impacts of initial teacher preparation on novice teacher readiness to teach in academically diverse settings, impacts of varied school and teaching practices on low income and minority learners, and the change process in schools moving toward more academically responsive classrooms.

Tracking is out. Students of all levels and all backgrounds will be in one room. A teacher needs to figure out where the students are, how they learn and tailor instructions to them.

Few major points:

Teach Up.
Spend time planning.
On-going assessments.
Start with one school and make sure principal and teachers buy in.
On-going efforts to support teachers. Can't be done with a mandate or few hours of staff training.
Build a teamwork or a sense of community in class.
Flexible grouping.