Teacher Inventory on Curriculum Practices and Differentiation Diane ...

<strong>Teacher</strong> <strong>Inventory</strong> on Curriculum Practices and
Differentiation
Diane Heacox, Ed.D.
Please indicate the grade in which you teach:
___I am a primary teacher (k-2)
___I am an intermediate teacher (3-5)
___I am a middle school teacher.
___I am a high school teacher.
Read each statement below. Circle the response that most closely
describes the extent to which you use the practice in your
classroom. Please use the following scales:
1. never/almost never
2. seldom
3. sometimes
4. frequently, consistently
Curriculum
1. I review my state/province’s academic 1 2 3
4
standards before I determine a curriculum
unit’s goals (KUDo’s) or the goals for a lesson.
2. I determine the assessments that I will use 1 2 3
4
before I plan my unit activities so that there is
alignment between curriculum, assessment,
and instruction.
3. I ensure that all student tasks and products 1 2 3 4
focus on clearly stated learning goals (KUDo’s).
Instructional Planning
4. I pre-assess students to determine their 1 2 3
4
readiness for each new unit or series of lessons.
5. I use on-going (formative) assessment to adjust 1 2 3
4
Adapted from a working draft of Making Differentiation a Habit (forthcoming) by
Diane Heacox, Ed.D., copyright © 2009. Free Spirit Publishing Inc.;
www.freespirit.com. This page may be photocopied for individual, classroom, and
small group work only.

my instructional plans to respond to differing
learning needs.
6. I use data provided by my state or province 1 2 3 4
or school to inform my instructional planning.
7. I gather information about my students’ 1 2 3
4
interests in curriculum topics.
8. I know my students’ learning preferences. 1 2 3
4
(Multiple Intelligences)
Flexible Instruction
9. I use a variety of instructional strategies 1 2 3
4
in my teaching.
10. I engage all my students in challenging 1 2 3
4
learning experiences
11. I adjust the pace of instruction to student’s 1 2 3
4
learning needs, not everyone is doing the
same thing on the same day every day.
12. I provide additional time, instruction, and 1 2 3 4
support (e.g. scaffolding) to students
based on their specific needs.
13. I adjust curriculum topics and learning 1 2 3
4
tasks to best meet my students’ needs
and ensure a challenging learning experience.
14. I match resources to my students’ reading 1 2 3
4
readiness level (e.g. lexile scores).
15. I match resources to my students’ level of 1 2 3 4
knowledge about a curricular topic.
Adapted from a working draft of Making Differentiation a Habit (forthcoming) by
Diane Heacox, Ed.D., copyright © 2009. Free Spirit Publishing Inc.;
www.freespirit.com. This page may be photocopied for individual, classroom, and
small group work only.

16. I use choice in topics, processes, or 1 2 3
4
products to motivate my students.
17. I use a variety of choice formats with my 1 2 3 4
students including such activities as tic tac
toe boards, RAFTS, cubing.
18. I use tiered assignments to match students 1 2 3 4
with “just right, right now” tasks based
on their learning needs.
19. I offer tasks reflecting my student interests. 1 2 3 4
20. I design tasks based on student readiness; 1 2 3
4
some students need more time, instruction,
practice, others are “there” early.
21. I design tasks reflecting different learning 1 2 3 4
preferences. (Multiple Intelligences)
22. If I use centers or stations, I either assign 1 2 3
4
particular students to particular centers or
match students with particular activities
in each center based on their learning needs.
23. I plan and use flexible grouping in my 1 2 3
4
classroom to organize students by their
instructional need.
24. I use a variety of ways to group my students. 1 2 3
4
(e.g. by interests, readiness, learning
preferences).
Adapted from a working draft of Making Differentiation a Habit (forthcoming) by
Diane Heacox, Ed.D., copyright © 2009. Free Spirit Publishing Inc.;
www.freespirit.com. This page may be photocopied for individual, classroom, and
small group work only.