DECIDING TO DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL - ONE SCHOOLS JOURNEY

As many schools move toward serving a broad range of students in heter ogeneous settings, it is important to assist teachers in developing cl assrooms responsive to the needs of academically diverse learners. Und erstanding what impedes and what facilitates appropriately differentia ted instruction is essential for educational leaders if schools are to move away from one-size-fits-all teaching and if heterogeneous classr ooms are to become viable for ''academic outliers'' such as gifted, st ruggling, and special education learners. This case study examines the experience of one middle school confronted with a district mandate fo r differentiated instruction and presents the factors which impeded or facilitated their movement toward appropriately differentiated classr ooms.