Tomlinson (2009) described differentiated assessment as an ongoing process through which teachers gather data before, during, and after instruction from multiple sources to identify learners’ needs and strengths. In a quality class that is built on the foundation of differentiation, the teacher will infuse a constant stream of assessments (before, during, and after) to help identify student’s needs and to help improve learning. 

Use the information in your text and from the following websites and video to explore definitions, explanations and examples of pre-assessments, formative assessments, and summative assessments.

• Differentiated strategies for assessment.

• 25 quick formative assessments for a differentiated classroom.
   
• What is Differentiated Assessment? 

Instructions

After viewing the resources:

• Explain the role of assessment as it applies to theoretical foundations of differentiated instruction. 
• Describe how assessment can be created that evaluates a student’s true knowledge without bias towards language barriers, learning differences, or cultural differences. 
• Choose one differentiated assessment strategy (either pre, formative, or summative) from the course text (or from the recommended websites or video) and present a rationale for using the assessment to meet the needs of diverse learners and how it will be used to drive future instruction.