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In this article, the author discusses how both schools at Conway Elementary School in St. Louis, Missouri and Colchester High School in Colchester have moved to schoolwide differentiated instruction as part of a systemic approach to teaching and learning. Teachers and administrators at both schools ensure clarity about what students should know, understand and be able to do as the result of each segment of learning--whether the segment is the school year, a course unit or a day. Teachers in both settings regularly pre-assess students to determine their readiness levels relative to the essential knowledge, understanding and skill, as well as their interests and ways in which students seem to prefer to learn. They also regularly use ongoing or formative assessment to understand where each student is relative to the key learning goals and to hear from students which approaches to teaching and learning seem most helpful to them.