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Differentiated instruction has always been about providing every learner full opportunity to grow as much as possible academically, intellectually, and socially. A key principle of differentiation is "teaching up" (Tomlinson, 2021, 2022; Tomlinson & Javius, 2012). Teaching up is of particular importance at this moment in education because it offers a path forward on two related, lingering, and defining concerns. The first is the enduring negligence to provide equity of opportunity to students from persistently marginalized groups. The second concern is a decades-long blindness to the test-driven, impoverishing nature of curriculum and instruction that pervades today's classrooms. The two concerns are tightly bonded. It is impossible to claim a quality system of public education without placing both concerns in the foreground of educational policy and practice.

A veteran educator tells stories of four children she taught who each struggled with trauma and were at risk of disconnecting from school and sliding into tragic life outcomes. She shares lessons she learned from reaching out to each child and general lessons about helping students with trauma--including to never go it alone.

In the last 50 years, research in psychology has informed educational practice, and recently educational neuroscience has also become a source of research-based guidance on education. The authors discuss four significant examples of how combining findings from psychology and neuroscience gives us insight into which approaches are most effective in teaching and working with students.

Carol Ann Tomlinson and Michael Murphy explore how educators can create an empathetic school--"a place where our central and shared goal was to understand the experiences and perspectives of those who share our space and making decisions based on what would serve them best."

Complex Instruction is a multifaceted instructional model designed to provide highly challenging learning opportunities for students in heterogeneous classrooms. The model provides a rationale for and philosophy of creating equity of access to excellent curriculum and instruction for a broad range of learners, guidance for preparing students for successful groupwork, direction for the teacher's role, and principles and practices for "groupworthy tasks"--assignments worthy of student investment and designed to draw on a broad range of abilities for successful task completion. This article focuses on the nature and importance of "groupworthy tasks."

In this article, the author believes that equity and excellence ought simultaneously to govern educational decisions for all students in the middle grades. That is, each student should have access to curriculum that is high level, authentic, meaning-making, expert-focused, and highly relevant to young adolescents. In that way, equity of opportunity belongs to all young adolescents. In addition, each young adolescent--including those who demonstrate advanced academic performance and potential--should have persistent, knowledgeable adult support in maximizing his or her potential. In that way, excellence becomes a barometer of success for each student and his or her teachers.

Both the current school reform and standards movements call for enhanced quality of instruction for all learners. Recent emphases on heterogeneity, special education inclusion, and reduction in out-of-class services for gifted learners, combined with escalations in cultural diversity in classrooms, make the challenge of serving academically diverse learners in regular classrooms seem an inevitable part of a teacher's role. Nonetheless, indications are that most teachers make few proactive modifications based on learner variance. This review of literature examines a need for "differentiated" or academically responsive instruction. It provides support in theory and research for differentiating instruction based on a model of addressing student readiness, interest, and learning profile for a broad range of learners in mixed-ability classroom settings.

The concept of personalization in learning appeals to many K-12 teachers and students weary of regimented, one-size-fits-all instruction. The in-vogue term personalization is used to refer to many different learning strategies and structures--from personal learning plans to greater student voice. Differentiation expert Carol Ann Tomlinson is excited about the potential of personalization, but suggests that school leaders who are considering implementing a specific personalized approach seriously think through the implications the changes involved will have for all elements of their school's system--and what further changes or resources they will need to make personalization work well for all students and teachers. She poses ten questions leaders should work through and begin to answer as they prepare to usher personalized learning into their unique school context.

Helping young people develop good hearts and good minds is key to developing emotionally healthy kids. Carol Ann Tomlinson lays out some principles for educators to both teach and practice as they guide students to becoming more human in their minds and hearts. Developing healthy minds involves more than simply building academic knowledge. It also involves living out these four propositions: Learning should nearly always be satisfying and often exhilarating. Making meaning of the world around us is central to learning. Working hard and working wisely are the secrets to mastery. All people have the ability to be creative. A good mind without a good heart can be destructive. These four principles can set students on the road to growing good hearts. Kindness is the air and water that humans need to thrive. We need to decide what we stand for and who we want to be. We must strive to be good members of the human family. We make our own memories.

In her more than 30 years of teaching, the author has practiced differentiation in her own classroom at all educational levels. Although she is well familiar with the vocabulary, research and reasoning behind it, the most compelling answer she can give for why differentiation matters in the middle grades comes from her personal experience as an adolescent with a typically fragile sense of self. She describes the teaching techniques of two teachers she experienced in middle school. The first was a math teacher who taught with a one-size-fits-all approach to math, who seemed to prove to her daily as an insecure adolescent that she was a loser. Her uncertainty about her own abilities grew in direct proportion to the math fog that collected around her day by day as this teacher explained the lesson one time, one way. Her English teacher on the other hand, worked hard to know the class as individual students, and to make the class work for each student. Although this much more student focused approach which personalized English class and planted the seed for a possible future was not called "differentiation" in those days, it could have been. Differentiation simply suggests that teachers provide clear learning goals that are rich in meaning and provide various avenues and support systems to maximize the chance of each student succeeding. The author draws upon her own teaching experience and offers simple strategies that can be used to help students develop a sense of competence, and encounter self-efficacy, as they learn to experience and surmount personal challenges. She challenges teachers to approach subject matter in a way that makes students feel valued and supported and points out that the alternative is not only lower achievement, but alienation of students from learning altogether. The article concludes by saying that there is no single formula for differentiation. It begins with a teacher who takes an honest look at a class and accepts responsibility for the success of each student. If they're all going to learn, the teacher needs to find more than one route to success.

All people are shaped by the culture in which they live, but it can be difficult for all of us to grasp that people shaped by other cultures will see and respond to the world differently than we do. These cultural differences can cause teachers to misunderstand students. For example, an educator might assume that quiet students have a language problem, when the reality is that they come from a culture that learn by quietly listening. Tomlinson and Dack offer four guidelines to help teachers become better attuned to the cultural differences in their classrooms. Recognize and appreciate cultural variance. Learn about and look for culturally influenced learning patterns. Look beyond cultural patterns to see individuals. Plan an inviting curriculum and instruction. It can be helpful to think about cultural and learning differences as being on a variety of spectrums, such as individualistic to collectivist or reserved to expressive, with students residing at different points on those spectrums. Teachers might choose a few spectrums and plan their instruction to meet the needs of students all along the spectrum. By differentiating in this way, they'll invite students with a variety of cultural backgrounds and learning needs to learn in the way that serves them best.

The underrepresentation of ethnic minority and economically disadvantaged students in gifted education must be understood in terms of broader school contexts and practices. This qualitative study investigated how teachers and schools contributed to the academic success of minority students of high potential from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Researchers collected observation, interview, and documentary data for 2 years at each of three case study sites with a reputation of effectiveness in supporting academic success of minority students from low-income backgrounds. Data indicated that (a) teachers and schools can positively affect achievement without being exemplary in all facets of their practice, (b) teachers' and schools' definitions of success shape students' opportunities for achievement, (c) developing the capacities of high-potential students necessitates supported access to challenging curriculum for all minority students, and (d) educators who foster academic success in minority students support students to comfortably navigate dual cultural worlds.

Engagement doesn't just happen. As much as teachers would like it if their own fascination with content were contagious for every student, it doesn't work that way. Engagement must be planned for. A teacher discovers what's engaging in the content and designs curriculum so students discover it too. The authors profile one teacher who searches for the irresistible in his teaching and uses it to entice his students to learn. His design process for two curriculum units in his high school civics class illustrates four key principles that teachers of any subject or grade can use to plan for engagement.

A lot of people talk about the value of formative assessment, but Carol Ann Tomlinson points out that, too often, it is reduced to a mechanism for raising end-of-year-test scores when it should be an ongoing exchange between a teacher and his or her students designed to help students grow. When aligned with current content goals, it can help teachers and students make near-term adjustments so that student learning can proceed. Tomlinson offers 10 principles to help teachers apply sound formative assessment practices: (1) Help students understand the role of formative assessment; (2) Begin with clarity about what students need to know, understand, and be able to do; (3) Make room for student differences; (4) Provide instructive feedback to students; (5) Make feedback user-friendly; (6) Assess persistently; (7) Engage students with formative assessment; (8) Look for patterns; (9) Plan instruction around content requirements and student needs; and (10) Repeat the process.

While waiting for an after school meeting to begin, Carol Ann Tomlinson found herself chatting with an high school history teacher as he shared the struggle he faced to help a large population of English language learners (ELLs) who had recently arrived at his school. He spoke of how supporting these students was a new challenge for the staff, and that his colleagues had received no formal assistance to prepare them for this role. Tomlinson asked if he had figured out any useful strategies that seemed useful. He nodded and explained that he had thought about what it would be like if he were 17 and trying to make his way through high school in a new country. Tomlinson reveals that if she were an English Learner trying to make her way in an unfamiliar country she would want just this sort of teacher, one who had put himself in the ELL's shoes, imagined the challenges, and found concrete solutions to help her find her own way and where no student was ever without a voice.

A typical classroom today is a jigsaw puzzle of learners. It is not unusual for a teacher to have in one class students from multiple cultures, bringing with them varied degrees of proficiency with English and an impressive array of learning exceptionalities (both identified and not identified), as well as a broad array of economic backgrounds. That set of descriptors doesn't account for students' varied learning strengths, entry points into any given segment of the curriculum, dreams and interests or approaches to learning. There are three approaches schools and teachers can take to deal with this common span of academic diversity: (1) to place students in heterogeneous settings and do little to attend to student differences; (2) to track or group the students homogeneously by ability; and (3) to create heterogeneous classrooms designed to attend to learner variance. Approach number three, which is now referred to as differentiated instruction, is the comparative newcomer on the scene. Early research on differentiation is promising and, when implemented correctly, it is solidly rooted in sound educational theory and research. Most teachers report seeing the need for differentiation in their classes. Nonetheless, translating that perception into practice is daunting. Human beings are not prone to embrace change. Thus even with the recognition of student differences and the conclusion that those differences matter in teaching and learning, the prospect of rethinking teaching and learning often results in a predictable rash of "Yes, buts ..." when teachers consider developing and applying the principles and skills of differentiation. This article presents the 10 most likely objections and excuses and suggests how education leaders can address teachers' hesitancy to moving forward.

Sorting students into different tracks within a school correlates strongly with student race and economic status and predicts and contributes to student outcomes. Students in higher-level classes typically experience better teachers, curriculum, and achievement levels than peers in lower-level classes. Creating classrooms that support equity of access to excellence requires that educators at all levels focus on seven interrelated principles. These range from developing a growth mind-set to creating flexible classroom routines that attend to learner needs to becoming an analytical practitioner.

Using a cross-sectional survey design, this study was conducted to explore teacher educators' perceptions and use of differentiated instruction practices. Data were collected using an original questionnaire that was designed to reflect Tomlinson's model of differentiation. Although the results suggest some congruence between teacher educators' beliefs and practices and Tomlinson's model, there was little indication that teacher educators implement a comprehensive model of differentiation. This finding is consistent with previous research documenting that teacher educators have yet to fully recognize or realize the benefits associated with modeling. It also raises concerns about whether teacher educators are adequately responsive to candidates' varied needs and are effectively preparing candidates for teaching in classrooms with increasingly diverse and complex student populations. Recommendations for practice and future research are offered. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)

Reflecting on her 40 year-long "happenstance" career in teaching--a field she had as a child vowed to avoid--Carol Ann Tomlinson describes five personal practices that have helped her and her colleagues achieve an effective, personally meaningful practice. She shares stories from her professional journey that illuminate these elements of a high-quality teaching life: (1) find a place that fits you; (2) see teaching as a calling; (3) know you don't know; (4) associate yourself with quality; and (5) generate your own energy.

Noted educator Carol Ann Tomlinson shares the insights that shaped her thinking about informative assessment. Informative assessment goes beyond tests and the grade book. It means assessing students both formally and informally in multiple ways and giving frequent, productive feedback on student work. Informative assessment isn't separate from curriculum or instruction; it spans student knowledge, understanding and skill. Informative assessment is about assessing students during the course of their learning to see how they're progressing. Although it looks at student readiness and student weaknesses, it broadens the scope to encompass student interests, students' preferred modes of learning, and student strengths. Tomlinson notes that the 10th understanding--that informative assessment isn't just for the teacher, that it involves a partnership between teacher and students--revolutionalized what happened in her classrooms.

Tomlinson and Germundson compare teaching well to playing jazz well. Excellent teaching involves a blend of techniques and theory; expressiveness; syncopation; call and response, and, frequently, improvisation. Weaving in analogies to jazz, the authors delineate four elements of such teaching: curriculum that helps students connect to big ideas, understanding of students, differentiated instruction, and assessment for learning. A description of a middle-school science teacher's effective unit on cells fleshes out the teaching-as-jazz analogy.

When teaching to the "typical" student doesn't work, teachers can tap into students' areas of greatest comfort, confidence, and passion and teach to their strengths. Five principles guide this work, which involves learning to recognize diverse student strengths, helping students see their capabilities in a positive light, helping students appreciate one another's strengths, making learning a positive experience, and helping students use their strengths to overcome weaknesses. The principles are illustrated by stories of teachers who learned to watch for and teach to their students' strengths, and they are illuminated by the work of researchers and expert practitioners.

The inability to teach anything in high school other than what the curriculum dictates due to lack of time, and the near impossibility of getting to know one's students due to large numbers who are generally indifferent and often ill behaved, are two of the most common refrains sung by teachers of adolescents. A profile of four teachers, who overcame these limitations and connected with their students sufficiently to make teaching and learning a mutually rewarding experience, is presented.

Teaching is a habit-bound profession. Yet a number of clear signs point to the need to differentiate. Staff developers can help teachers to become better able to teach diverse student populations, grouped heterogeneously, at a high level if they can surmount four key barriers.

Teachers often perceive an inherent conflict between "differentiated instruction," which emphasizes attention to variance in students' readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles, and "the grading system," which seems to indicate a sort of rigidity and standardization. This article examines key principles of quality differentiation and of quality grading to determine whether the two facets of educational practice are compatible. It concludes that the perceived incompatibility stems from misunderstanding the essential principles of differentiation and grading, and from entrenched classroom habits that often run counter to guidance from experts in grading and in differentiation.

The nature of life in the 21st century suggests that schools must prepare students to be thinkers, problemsolvers, collaborators, wise consumers of information, and confident producers of knowledge. The nature of 21st century student populations suggests that schools will have to become more responsive to the broadening array of cultures, languages, experiences, economics, and interests represented in most contemporary classrooms-and to do so in ways that provide equity of access to robust learning experiences for that broad spectrum of learners. Such classrooms will be heterogeneous in nature, and learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, instruction-centered, and community-centered. Teachers in those classrooms will need to be proficient in 'teaching up,' or planning learning experiences at a high level of challenge while providing scaffolding to support many learners in succeeding with those experiences and extending the challenge in a meaningful way for advanced learners., Author(s): Carol Ann Tomlinson[sup.1] Author Affiliations: Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish Jr. Professor and Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy at the University of Virginia. (1) University [...]

Take a cursory look around most school districts, schools and classrooms to confirm what the experts tell us: Our student population is becoming more academically diverse with each passing year. There are increased categories of special education identification, a rapidly growing second language population, more students carrying the weight of fragmented home lives, and advanced learners languishing in under-challenging classrooms. Further, the federal policymakers tell us we have a greater need than ever to educate the broadest possible range of learners to work confidently at high levels of sophistication because the world into which these students grow up will require them to be generators of knowledge, not merely consumers of it. In the meantime, teachers feel pressure to raise the standardized test scores of students who clearly are not standardized. More than ever teachers need to know how to teach well in response to diverse learner needs. If that conclusion is evident to many educational leaders, the route to realizing more effectively differentiated or responsive classrooms is less clear. Well-intentioned leaders may feel an impetus to move toward classrooms in which individual variance is acknowledged, valued and taken into account in planning. As in all change efforts, however, the quality of leadership efforts will likely define the quality of outcomes. That is certainly the case with two districts where leaders recently began to advocate an emphasis on classroom instruction that is attentive to the needs of the diverse learners they serve.

Currently, educators separate out from typical students those whose learning needs vary from the norm. The norming and sorting process may earmark students as "different" without providing markedly unique instruction and without producing robust academic outcomes. An alternative to fragmentation for some students is the creation of classrooms in which human differences are valued and provided for, yet few teachers (including specialists) seem currently to have the skill or will to develop these sorts of settings. Educators need to examine the potential costs and benefits of alternative approaches to addressing the learning needs that exist among people.