Differentiation and High-Stakes Testing: An Oxymoron?

Abstract

Is meeting diverse learning needs through differentiation incompatible with the high-stakes testing that is now a way of life for many teachers and students across the nation? Recognizing that testing is here to stay for the foreseeable future, this article considers ways to bring differentiation and high-stakes testing together for the benefit of all learners. The article begins with a review of the importance of attending to individual learning needs, and then discusses conflicts that arise when attention to learner needs collides with attention to high stakes tests. The article defines key skills demonstrated by teachers who effectively differentiate curriculum and instruction, and shares data illustrating one teacher's success in enhancing student performance on high stakes tests. The author suggests actions that educators may take to facilitate differentiation when accountability mandates threaten to undermine the personal nature of education.