| Abstract Given the implementation of the federal initiative Response to Intervention (RtI) many districts are exploring teaching philosophies and strategies to help close the achievement gap. Differentiated instruction is a teaching philosophy that has been known to help teachers assist students in reaching their highest academic potential.;The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore teachers' understanding of differentiated instruction and their perceptions of their ability to implement DI in grades kindergarten through sixth. The survey was administered electronically through the Leighton Public Schools Google mail accounts. The survey had two parts and within part one there were two sections: A and B. Part I, Section A asked teachers to identify, using a Likert scale, their understanding of differentiated instruction. Part I, Section B asked teachers to identify, using a Likert scale their ability to implement differentiated instruction. Parts A and B were organized by the six components of differentiated instruction as developed by Carol A. Tomlinson and modified by Sandra Page: Student Interest, Assessment, Lesson Planning, Content, Process, and Product. Part II of the survey asked teachers demographic information such as what subject they taught, whether they were a general or special education teacher, current grade taught, their sex, age range, education level, how many years they had been teaching, and what types of training they had participated in regarding differentiated instruction. This quantitative study utilized a survey study methodology, which was sent to over 100 participants electronically.;The two research questions that guided this paper are: (1) To what extent do K-6 teachers understand the concepts of differentiated instruction and the methods of how to differentiate classroom instruction in the Leighton Public Schools? (2) How do K-6 teachers at Leighton Public Schools implement components of differentiated instruction (student interest, assessment, lesson planning, content, process and product) as defined by Carol A. Tomlinson?.;Key words: Differentiated instruction, Response to Intervention, Assessment, Professional Development, Inclusion. |
