What can I do if my child's academic needs are not being met in the classroom?

STEP 1: Talk to the classroom teacher. It’s important to talk to the classroom teacher about specific concerns. You should be thinking about finding answers to: What has the teacher already been doing to challenge the child? What kind of differentiation strategies has the teacher been using? How does your child feel about school?

You might use language like: “I feel that my child already knows this material. How has my child performed on pre-tests? Based on the information from this pre-test or what you have observed, in what ways are you planning to provide my child with more challenge? Are you aware that my child already knows…? What have you already done to look for…?”

I still have questions regarding my child’s classroom instruction. Now, what do I do?

STEP 2: Contact the TAG Resource Teacher assigned to your child’s school. (You can find this in the school handbook or on the staff page.)

What does it mean to differentiate instruction?

Students come to school with varying levels of readiness to learn, different ways in which they learn best, and a wide range of interests. Differentiating instruction means that a teacher recognizes those academic differences and modifies classroom instruction in order to help each child reach his or her academic potential. All students are challenged without excessive stress and each student is helped to grow academically.

What is expected from my child's elementary teacher?

The teacher is expected to know your child and to use that knowledge to match the child and the learning experience within the district's curriculum. The teacher is not expected to develop an individualized program for each student or an entirely different curriculum. Teacher expertise in accommodating academic diversity varies. The teacher is not expected to be an instant expert in differentiated instruction but is expected to grow professionally and to reach out for help from district resources when needed.

How do teachers decide how and when to differentiate instruction for my child?

Standardized tests, unit tests, and quizzes are necessary and helpful for placement purposes, but do not provide enough information for teachers to evaluate students' depth of understanding. In order to evaluate depth, teachers observe throughout the year how students solve problems, evaluate students' writing, and listen carefully to the students' discussions and explanations about their thinking. Teachers use flexible grouping in order to allow students to work with the appropriate learning partners in a variety of areas.

What evidence of differentiation can I expect to see?

Sometimes the use of differentiation is subtle. Parents may see student work come home and have no way of knowing how a teacher matched a particular assignment with their child's needs. Probably the best way of knowing how differentiation is used in the classroom is to ask the teacher. She will be able to point out particular assignments that your student worked on and tell you how the match was made between your child and the learning activity.

What is my role as a parent?

Parents are a great source of information about their children. For a teacher to know as much about an individual child as the adult(s) who live with and raise that child is almost impossible. However, most parents aren't professional educators. Even for those who are, assessing one's own child's ability relative to all the others in the classroom is difficult. Most parents have not developed an in-depth understanding of the curriculum. Nor is that necessary. A parent should be involved and interested, ask pertinent questions, and follow their child's progress. A parent should not try to redesign the curriculum, but should look for structured opportunities to be involved in its development. (Many districts involve parents on curriculum committees.) Perhaps the most critical factor in being an effective parent with the schools is, while demonstrating interest in your child's education, to also respect the needs of other students and parents to claim a portion of the teacher's time and attention.

Source: From the Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Public School System, 1999. Reproduced by permission.