Pre-assessment is done to assess prior knowledge of a subject and the skills possessed by the student. It is essential that a teacher who is differentiating instruction knows what a student already brings to the table before the education process starts. Prior to starting a unit, administer a series of pre-test to your students. The teacher explains to the students that these pre-tests are not graded; they are being used to help you comprehend how much they know about the subject.
Math matters when it is time to add and determine grades. While it is common for many teachers to use a 100 point scale, this type of scale and the way in which it is used can harm student motivation, and renders an inaccurate measure of student achievement in a differentiated instruction classroom. Because a failure can go as low as 0 on the scale this can distort evaluation. For major assignments teachers should consider grading an "F," or failing grade, as a 50 instead of a 0. Also, penalizing late work on major assignments by dropping a full grade per day distorts evaluation and is disheartening to students, especially those who have special needs.
It is common for most classrooms to grade everyone on the same scale with the same points awarded for each assignment. But, in the differentiated classroom, different students can demonstrate their mastery in different ways. Some students are not consistent with handing in homework, but they do extremely well on tests. Others may not score well on tests, but consistently hand in homework. Teachers in a differentiated learning classroom should consider different ways to calculate grades based on the needs of their students.
While some students may learn quickly and score well on tests, other students may need more-individualized feedback on an ongoing basis. Short, one-page assignments can be reviewed quickly and therefore give the student a measure of concept mastery. Teachers should not give the first feedback at the end of a marking period. Students with learning challenges need feedback at least every three days.
While teachers will employ many different types of lessons and techniques in a differentiated instruction classroom, they should remember that the ultimate goal is substantive learning. Teachers want a student who can do more than regurgitate facts. The student who has achieved substantive learning can take an idea or theory and relate it to a new set of facts. Before starting a unit, the teacher should develop specific learning goals and draft test questions. The type of question that a secondary school history teacher would use could be: Compare the Constitution of the United States with the structure of government that developed in ancient Greece and Rome, and England, in terms of the power of the executive and the rights of citizens.