Introduction to Differentiated Instruction In Utah Middle Schools

With students appearing so disengaged from classrooms and with increasing gaps in achievement among ethnic, racial, and social minorities in Utah, this research asks what middle school teachers need to do to reach these students, especially low–performing students who are more likely to disengage. Previous studies assert that differentiated instruction may be “the most promising strategy for meeting the needs of diverse learners in a heterogeneously grouped classroom” (Hobson 2008). Therefore, current and future educators must learn how to use differentiated instruction in order to close the gap in achievement for diverse students. Since it is likely many Utah teachers already successfully implement differentiated instruction, what do they do differently to successfully reach every student? More specifically, with the breadth of what defines differentiated instruction, to which principles of differentiated instruction do current teachers focus to be successful at it? If other teachers who have tried more differentiated approaches in the past have decided against those approaches, might there be a different aspect of differentiated instruction that could work more easily or effectively for them? Finally, as Utah teachers have tried to incorporate Response-to-Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) strategies into their curricula—which are highly related to differentiated instruction—what benefits and struggles have they discovered? What are the practical difficulties of RTI or MTSS for which they would like to find solutions? Could refocusing on the principles of differentiated instruction supply those solutions? The presentation introduces the researcher’s expected methods to discover how Utahn teachers currently use differentiated instruction to engage all middle school students in meaningful learning experiences. The presentation will also introduce possible conclusions and expected outcomes of the study. In addition, brief mention will be given of the study’s ability to influence the local and national discourse and sentiment toward diversity