M5 U4 Activity 1: Designing Differentiated Assessments
Project Description
Overview
When creating assessments for any class, differentiation for various groups must be considered. The groups considered in this activity are special education students and English Language Learners. Students with special needs may be on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan (U.S. only) or other similar program designed for students with special needs or disabilities. In order to create appropriate assessments, the teacher must know something about the level of knowledge in academic areas for each ELL student and the learning problems and the content of the IEP or Section 504 plan for special needs students. This is an appropriate time to check student records for past history, and also look at the results on any formative assessments done in the classroom. It is important to note that special education students may be at differing levels of ability and lessons need to be designed to address each child’s particular situation. Inversely, English language learners of differing language backgrounds may be at the same acquisition level of English.
Performance outcomes
Candidates will design differentiated assessments for an English language learner and a student with special needs in an inclusive classroom
What will you do?
Select a student with special needs and one ELL student from your classroom or from a case study. Specify whether each student is reading below, on, or above their grade level. Describe the student with special needs and what learning disability or difficulty he/she faces (either from a clinical diagnosis or from your own observations).
Using a formative assessment you created in unit 1, differentiate this assessment to include modifications or accommodations. You will create an alternate or modified assessment for a student with special needs as well as one for an English Language Learner. Be sure to use vocabulary from the appropriate reading level or language level of the two students so that you are only assessing the concepts of the subject matter that you are teaching. If the student has an IEP (individualized education program), refer to it while creating the assessment.
Write a brief summary of the changes you made to the original assessment, explaining reasons for change.
Make a note of the following as applicable:
Special accommodations for the student within the assessment
Special considerations while delivering or administering the assessment
Peer review at least one other Cohort member’s alternate assessments to ensure that it adequately meets the needs of the ELL student as well as a student with special needs. Leave your feedback comments on your peer’s activity submission page.
Report Requirements
Description of one ELL student and one student with special needs
Alternate or modified assessment for an ELL student
Alternate or modified assessment for a student with learning disability
Peer review
(The above information was cited from the TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program)
Activity Resources
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