Reply to s/o Gifted classes in DC schools

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "s/o Gifted classes in DC schools"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]I don't understand the deep skepticism about differentiation.[/b]

I went to a Montessori school through 4th grade. They didn't talk about differentiation back then -- but in order to meet the needs of a couple dozen kids ages 6-9 within a single classroom, you HAVE to be successfully providing differentiation, whatever you want to call it.

So I take it as given that, yes, differentiation can work, and work well. If DCPS -isn't- doing it well, that doesn't inevitably mean DC needs G&T programs -- maybe that means we need to get better at differentiation.

And it's a lot easier to get better at differentiation if you teachers and administration can focus on that, instead of spending all their time explaining for the 8 millionth time that no, they don't have a G&T program.[/quote]

If you spend any time at all in a reasonably good DCPS, even more so in one that isn't homogeneously good or homogeneously struggling, then you'll know that there is a lot of differentiation going on. Just because a few uninformed DCUM posters claim there isn't doesn't mean that there isn't. DCPS just doesn't publicize it and probably hasn't even ever made a conscious effort about it. It's something that was way back eliminated with some fanfare and has since most definitely been quietly reintroduced. How quiet it is around "differentiation" is also to be explained by the fact that neither egalitarians nor elitists like it much. Therefore, you'll more often see it discussed as "ability grouping" (as distinct from "tracking"). Other popular concepts are "pull-outs" or "looping". If you want to be heard, on your school's LSAT for example, try those less charged terms instead.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics