Differentiated Learning Assessment

[Unregistered]

Hi,
I have a question re. assessment and evaluation using a differentiated learning model and its effects on motivating higher achieving students.

Although I am an educator my question is posed as a parent of 3 children at the elementary level. My daughter in grade 3 has an inexperienced occasional teacher replacing her classroom teacher who is on a maternity leave. Just yesterday she received a level 3- on a math test and was mortified (she is straight A or level 4+) student. She was upset because a fellow classmate was given a different math test and achieved a grade higher than hers (and was bragging). This fellow classmate doesn't have an IEP (Ontario Canada's term for: individualized education plan) which would be indicated on summative evaluation or report card. (ie. although his grades might seem high his programme was modified and this is indicated on his report card).

If my daughter is being held to a higher standard than other students, then how can evaluation be fair? She is not a competitive child, but when we look at outcomes and measure success through the grade assigned at the end of the learning process, then it seems only natural for children to compare their grades. It is unfair, and I fear will ultimately be unmotivating for children to continue to push themselves when their end results may be perceived as being the same as others. Sorry to ramble here, but as an academic student this is where she shines in school. She isn't an athlete, or artist, or singer and doing well in school is her "thing". If she is no longer afforded the abilty to shine among her peers, due to inequity in assessment and holding students of differing abilities to different standards, then she is having something important taken away from her because of this model.

Just yesterday she partook in a Track and Field meet and tried her very best but came away with no ribbons. They didn't have different events for students of different physical abilities. They all ran the same 800 metre race and only the 3 winners received ribbons for their efforts. She did well for herself, but only the winners "shone" in the eyes of another child. I'm not sure if my point was made clear through this analogy, but I am concerned about assessment and evaluation using the differentiated learning model and how this will affect the moral, and motivation of high achievers.

Any enlightenment on this issue would be greatly appreciated. I am not completely familiar with this model and am perhaps, misunderstanding its implications and implementation.

Thanks,
Hope

[Unregistered]

I am still learning about this but this is how I see it. Does your child enjoy the work she is given at the higher level? Maybe focusing on what she is learning rather than the results of an assessment would be the important thing to do. You can't compare the two test results. If the tests results are that important to her esteem, you can talk to her about doing the easier work and getting the better grade. I think she wiould rather do the harder work. It is best to explain what a test really is. A high test scores indicates somone passed off a given set of objectives. The problem here is that grades are being seen to indicate smartness. The other boy received a high score for learning the objectives of his test. Your daughter still has some learning to do to meet the objectives of her test--the test is not the end goal--more learning is the end goal for both students--the boy needs to go on to the next "set" of objectives, and your daughter needs another go at the ones she tested on. Perhaps the teacher needs to review this concept with your daugher.
I understand you comparing the math and sports--but it's not a good plan to avoid differentiation in math just because you can't do it in all areas, or because your model is not perfect enough to avoid some misunderstaning. She can perhaps be taught to feel good about her work regardless of whether or not she gets recognized for beating others on math tests. I suspect students already know that she is the smart one in her class---they usually do. There is no need to deny the boy his chance to shine in his area of strength with the test he took. There may be a day that your daughter makes a goal in soccer because the goalie was not as good---she should still get her time to shine because she scored with the set of circumstances she was given. She would then be ready to "move on" to the more challenging goalie. That is what learning really is---many successes.
There is much info on differentiation online to learn about the model. It can really be great.