TEA Differentiated Instruction 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A principal wants to evaluate whether teachers are effectively differentiating instruction. Which walkthrough indicator is MOST relevant?
- All students completing the same task at the same pace
- Evidence of varied tasks, materials, or supports aligned to student needs (Correct answer)
- Students sitting in rows and listening to direct instruction
- Teacher providing the same explanation repeatedly to the whole class
Correct answer: Evidence of varied tasks, materials, or supports aligned to student needs
Visible variation in tasks, materials, or supports signals intentional differentiation based on learner needs.
Question 2: Which statement BEST describes the relationship between formative assessment and differentiated instruction?
- Formative assessment is used only at the end of a unit to sort students
- Formative assessment provides ongoing data that informs daily differentiation decisions (Correct answer)
- Differentiated instruction replaces the need for formative assessment
- Formative assessment is only useful for identifying special education eligibility
Correct answer: Formative assessment provides ongoing data that informs daily differentiation decisions
Ongoing formative data allows teachers to adjust instruction in real time to match student readiness and understanding.
Question 3: A principal is coaching a teacher who differentiates only for struggling students. What guidance should the principal offer?
- Differentiation only applies to students with IEPs
- All learners, including on-level and advanced students, benefit from differentiated instruction (Correct answer)
- The teacher should focus exclusively on raising the lowest performers
- Advanced students do not need differentiation because they already meet standards
Correct answer: All learners, including on-level and advanced students, benefit from differentiated instruction
Differentiated instruction is designed to meet the needs of all learners along the full spectrum of readiness and interest.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of differentiating by CONTENT?
- Allowing students to choose between writing a report or creating a poster
- Providing texts at different reading levels on the same topic (Correct answer)
- Giving students different amounts of time to complete a task
- Letting students choose where in the classroom to work
Correct answer: Providing texts at different reading levels on the same topic
Content differentiation involves varying what students learn or the materials used, such as leveled texts on the same concept.
Question 5: According to Carol Tomlinson's model, differentiation should be guided by which three student characteristics?
- Age, gender, and native language
- Readiness, interest, and learning profile (Correct answer)
- GPA, attendance, and behavioral history
- Reading level, math level, and writing level
Correct answer: Readiness, interest, and learning profile
Tomlinson's framework centers differentiation on student readiness, interest, and learning profile to maximize growth.
Question 6: A campus leader wants to build teacher capacity in differentiation. Which approach is MOST effective long-term?
- One-time all-day training on differentiation strategies
- Job-embedded coaching cycles with classroom observation and reflection (Correct answer)
- Distributing research articles about differentiation monthly
- Requiring teachers to attend external workshops on their own time
Correct answer: Job-embedded coaching cycles with classroom observation and reflection
Job-embedded coaching with observation and reflection leads to sustained instructional change more effectively than isolated training events.
Question 7: A teacher uses tiered assignments where all students address the same essential question but with different levels of complexity. This strategy is designed to:
- Separate students permanently by ability group
- Ensure equitable access to grade-level content while scaffolding for readiness (Correct answer)
- Reduce the teacher's planning burden
- Eliminate the need for whole-group instruction
Correct answer: Ensure equitable access to grade-level content while scaffolding for readiness
Tiered assignments maintain high expectations for all students while adjusting complexity to match current readiness levels.
TEA Differentiated Instruction 3
A principal wants to evaluate whether teachers are effectively differentiating instruction.
Which walkthrough indicator is MOST relevant?