Are We Differentiating Effectively for the Gifted or Not? A Commentary on Differentiated Curriculum Use in Schools

Abstract

After reviewing curriculum materials and observing instructional practices, the author identified trends and issues in school districts related to the implementation of differentiated curriculum and stakeholders’ views. Although primary stakeholders hold positive views of a differentiated curriculum, limited differentiation is being used in the regular curriculum. When teachers used differentiated curriculum, they were quite effective in the fidelity of implementation. However, principals appeared to be disinterested in differentiating the general curriculum and left its implementation to the discretion of teachers and the gifted coordinator, and superintendents were more focused on differentiation strategies for all learners and the inclusion of underrepresented groups in the gifted program. Moreover, the implementation of differentiation was influenced by the type of grouping and concerns about student performance on the state test. The author concluded with a discussion of remedies to administrative perceptions about gifted curriculum and grouping models.