Indiana Student Achievement Institute: Document 20
Clark Pleasant Middle Sch
Differentiated instruction
Teachers will use a variety of differentiated instruction (DI) strategies and assesssments in their classes weekly. To differentiate instruction and assessment is to recognize students' varying background knowledge, readiness, language, learning preferences, interests, and to react responsively. Differentiated instruction is a process to approach teaching and learning for students of differing abilities in the same class. The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize each student’s growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is, and assisting in the learning process.
Impact Level: High Impact - Inside
Energy Level: Medium
Focus: General
F. Encourage Rigorous Curriculum: Acuity Assessment and Tutoring
All four core disciplines (English, Math, Science, and Social Studies)will use Acuity software to provide differentiated computer-based tutoring, diagnostic assessment based on expected learning standards, and better alignment with our corporation curriculum maps. Acuity is designed and owned by CTB, the same company that creates the ISTEP+ test.
Impact Level: High Impact - Inside
Energy Level: High
Focus: Specific
I. Focused Academic Area: Fast ForWord
Six sections of "Fast ForWord" will be taught, facilitated, and progress monitored daily by a licensed teacher. Fast ForWord is a software product that is research-based with proven results to dramatically improve student processing skills and overall reading ability. All 7th and 8th grade students will be identified for the program on the basis of 1) ISTEP scores; 2) the Acuity E/LA nine-weeks common assessment; and/or 3)grades in English class. Students will remain in Fast ForWord until they complete at least three of the five products and demonstrate proficiency in the program objectives.
Impact Level: High Impact - Inside
Energy Level: Low
Focus: Specific
U. Focused Student Group: Special Education
Six sections of "ALEKS" will be taught, facilitated, and progress monitored at least three times a week by special education teachers and instructional assistants. ALEKS is a web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn't know in a course. ALEKS then instructs the student on the topics he or she is most ready to learn. As a student works through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student to ensure that topics learned are also retained. ALEKS courses are comprehensive in their topic coverage and provide assessment items beyond multiple choice questions. A student who shows a high level of mastery of an ALEKS course will be successful in the actual course he or she is taking. ALEKS also provides the advantages of one-on-one instruction, 24/7, from virtually any web-based computer for a fraction of the cost of a human tutor. Special education students will be identified for the course on the basis of the following criteria: 1) ISTEP scores; 2) Acuity math nine-weeks common assessments; and/or 3)grades in math classes. Students will remain in ALEKS until they demonstrate proficiency according to the program objectives.
Impact Level: High Impact - Inside
Energy Level: Low
Focus: Specific