Differentiated Instruction: What Strong Observation Evidence Can Look Like

Make planning, instructional strategies, differentiation, assessment, and professional knowledge visible through rigorous tasks and evidence-informed decisions. For Differentiated Instruction, the strongest preparation question is not “Did I mention it?” but “What student evidence will make this part of Georgia TKES observable?”

A classroom micro-scenario

Students choose between a text scaffold, graphic model, or oral rehearsal before completing the same analytical response, while advanced learners test the claim in a new context.

Teacher moves that fit this component

• differentiate access before lowering rigor
• offer strategic supports
• extend through depth and transfer

Evidence students can produce

• students use different supports for the same goal
• supports are temporary and purposeful
• extension increases complexity

What an administrator may be able to see

• clear modeling or explanation only where it is needed
• students doing the intellectual work for a substantial portion of the lesson
• teacher adjustments based on student responses

What students might be doing

• apply, explain, compare, create, solve, or revise
• use a model and then move toward independence
• respond to a changed prompt or scaffold when evidence shows a need

What students might be saying

• “The model helped me start, but now I can…”
• “I changed my strategy because…”
• “Our group found a different method and can explain why it works.”

Artifacts that can make evidence concrete

• student work across lesson phases
• teacher decision-point notes
• task sequence moving from access to rigorous application

Weak evidence vs. stronger evidence

Common missed opportunities

• Differentiated Instruction is named in the lesson plan but no student behavior demonstrates it.
• The teacher can explain the intent, but the observer would have to infer too much because the evidence remains hidden.
• Only one student produces the evidence, so it is difficult to judge how broadly learning is occurring.
• The teacher collects information but the next instructional move does not respond to it.

Planning questions for Differentiated Instruction

1. At what exact moment should Differentiated Instruction become visible?
2. What should students be doing differently because this component is strong?
3. What student language would tell me the intended thinking is actually happening?
4. What artifact, response, or behavior can provide evidence beyond my own explanation?
5. What will I change if the evidence is weaker or stronger than expected?

Related Georgia TKES components