Teaching Method Directly Affect The Success Of Students As...

Running head: DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION The Importance of Differentiated Instruction: Does this teaching method directly affect the Success of students as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills? Layna S. Philipp Tarleton State University The Importance of Differentiated Instruction: Does this teaching method directly affect the success of students as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills? Introduction As classrooms become more and more diverse, the growing challenge of K-12 teachers is to respond appropriately to the differing needs of the students (Anderson, 2007). Throughout recent years the number of students with diverse learning needs, who have been placed in†¦show more content†¦Ã‚ § 1400 et seq. (1975). The school may implement a scientifically based intervention as an aide to determine if the child responds to instruction. Teachers struggle daily to assist students in the classroom to be successful on state mandated tests and comply with any special education guidelines. The high standards of these tests and fear of litigation have left teachers grasping for methods in which to make general education attainable for children with learning difficulties. This focus on standards came about in an effort to ensure that all children received an equivalent level of education. Before standards-based teaching was required by NCLB there was much room for individual teaching strategies. Students in different classrooms in the same school would get a different education. A greater variance could be seen in specific populations as well. Standards were lower for children with cognitive and physical disabilities because less was expected of them (Levy, 2008). The purpose of this study is to discuss common practices in differentiated instruction and show the correlation of those practices with the success rate of chil dren with learning disabilities as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). Differentiated