We have seen the gamut from the various teachers we've had -- those who differentiated from the get-go, and others who refused to differentiate at all. This is the first year that DS is getting spelling pre-tests (3rd grade).
We're still early in the year, so I'm not sure everything is ironed out. The teacher told DH and I that the differentiation would be offered to everyone, but DS told me that he's the only one getting the advanced list even though there are others who score 100% on the pre-test.
If DS scores 100% on the pre-test, he gets a list that includes at least a few (up to several) words he doesn't already know how to spell. Also, instead of having to complete a spelling worksheet, DS has to look up and write the definition and part of speech for each word.
I could TOTALLY see kids purposely making mistakes on the pre-test to avoid the extra work. Actually, I could even see parents telling their kids not to get 100%, because looking up and writing out the definitions is quite time-consuming. We (including DS) are happy with the increase in challenge.
Last edited by Mama22Gs; 09/22/10 08:21 PM. Reason: tried to answer op
