# data[].attributes.headline
With having a focus on creating a Standards-Based Classroom this school year, several gifted students and many of my special needs students have seemed to struggle more with my content area. A Standards-Based Classroom (SBC) model encourages students to work at their pace on the standards set out by the GA Department of Education. A SBC also encourages students to be able to practice without penalty so that their final performance on the standards being taught show true mastery. The concepts behind a SBC are sound; therefore, I feel that it is my job to find an effective means of helping my students succeed. Not all students are capable of learning in a Standards-Based Classroom due to the deficits or gaps in their educational studies, which, in turn, requires differentiated instructional strategies to be used. As Watts-Taffe (2012) states, “differentiated instruction is not a single strategy, but rather an approach to instruction that incorporates a variety of strategies” (pg. 303). This suggests that there will be a series of strategies needed in order to help students be successful. My gifted students, students with special needs, and some students who are twice exceptional, seem to struggle the most with this classroom model. I propose a research study to investigate which instructional and differentiation strategies are most effective in helping gifted and special needs students succeed in a Standards-Based Classroom.

# data[].attributes.subject
With having a focus on creating a Standards-Based Classroom this school year, several gifted students and many of my special needs students have seemed to struggle more with my content area. A Standards-Based Classroom (SBC) model encourages students to work at their pace on the standards set out by the GA Department of Education. A SBC also encourages students to be able to practice without penalty so that their final performance on the standards being taught show true mastery. The concepts behind a SBC are sound; therefore, I feel that it is my job to find an effective means of helping my students succeed. Not all students are capable of learning in a Standards-Based Classroom due to the deficits or gaps in their educational studies, which, in turn, requires differentiated instructional strategies to be used. As Watts-Taffe (2012) states, “differentiated instruction is not a single strategy, but rather an approach to instruction that incorporates a variety of strategies” (pg. 303). This suggests that there will be a series of strategies needed in order to help students be successful. My gifted students, students with special needs, and some students who are twice exceptional, seem to struggle the most with this classroom model. I propose a research study to investigate which instructional and differentiation strategies are most effective in helping gifted and special needs students succeed in a Standards-Based Classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
As an educator, I feel that full access to all areas of the curriculum is a must for the modern student. With so many students at various ability levels, we, as educators, must give our students the tools they need to gain as much access as possible to what we are trying to teach them. My personal philosophy of education aligns closely with the social justice framework. Students need the opportunities to access as much education as possible if they are going to be able to be successful in life. This aligns to my philosophy as well in that some student groups can get a leg up in life, while others are often left behind or left with fewer tools to help them succeed. This is a significant issue, whether it be based on poverty, race, disability, etc. The works of Carol Tomlinson have informed and driven the study being proposed. Tomlinson states in an interview that, “[d]ifferentiation for me is a way of teaching, and it begins with an idea that every student in the class is extremely important” (Wu, 2013, pg. 127). One large area of improvement for my school includes looking into this issue and potentially finding out a means to better help students succeed.

# data[].attributes.body
1.     In a Standards-Based Classroom, how does a direct instruction differentiation strategy improve learning for struggling gifted and special needs students?

2.     How does using differentiated instructional strategies increase struggling gifted and special needs students’ reading scores?

# data[].attributes.headline
A research case study is proposed to identify strategies that help support my research questions. Currently, qualitative and quantitative measures will be used as a part of this case study. Using these methods, I will be able to gather the information I need to inform my teaching practices. For this study, several collection tools will be used to gather information. MAP Assessment data will be used to select students who will be participating in the study. Student growth scores as compared from Fall and Winter or Spring to Fall will be useful in informing the needs of the students. The case study will take place over the course of a single unit, so roughly a month. The direct instructional strategy will be taught daily to the experimental group while the control group will only have standard instruction for the course of the study. Experimental and control groups will be determined by RIT (Rasch Unit) scores from the MAP Assessment data collected before the beginning of the unit. RIT scale scores are representative of students current Zone of Proximal Development, and a comparative measure of academic standing. Students who are included in the experimental group should be labeled as SPED, Gifted, or both and have a RIT score below 223 which is considered a level 2 or developing learner. Control group students will be regular education students or remedial students which follow the same criteria.

# data[].attributes.subject
A research case study is proposed to identify strategies that help support my research questions. Currently, qualitative and quantitative measures will be used as a part of this case study. Using these methods, I will be able to gather the information I need to inform my teaching practices. For this study, several collection tools will be used to gather information. MAP Assessment data will be used to select students who will be participating in the study. Student growth scores as compared from Fall and Winter or Spring to Fall will be useful in informing the needs of the students. The case study will take place over the course of a single unit, so roughly a month. The direct instructional strategy will be taught daily to the experimental group while the control group will only have standard instruction for the course of the study. Experimental and control groups will be determined by RIT (Rasch Unit) scores from the MAP Assessment data collected before the beginning of the unit. RIT scale scores are representative of students current Zone of Proximal Development, and a comparative measure of academic standing. Students who are included in the experimental group should be labeled as SPED, Gifted, or both and have a RIT score below 223 which is considered a level 2 or developing learner. Control group students will be regular education students or remedial students which follow the same criteria.

# data[].attributes.body
*Likert-type Scale-for students to rate their current level of learning using instructional strategies.
*Unit Pre-test
*Unit Post-test
*ReadWorks.org website for formative assessments
*Individual Conferences

# data[].attributes.body
-Materials are free from errors.
-Assessments are free from biases.
-Assignments will be on grade level.
-Data will be collected in one notebook.
-Reflection will include any notation of biases or conflict in data.

# data[].attributes.body
*This research adds to the small current pool of information regarding SBCs.
*Longer study is suggested with larger student population.
*The research serves to inform classroom teachers on effective strategies to help gifted and special needs students.
*Limited by time and not using effective strategies can harm students academically.

# data[].attributes.body
Includes narrative data from anecdotal evidence collected from interviews and any observations.
Pre- & Post-test data.
Daily grades, & Student responses to the Likert-type scale.

# data[].attributes.body
-IRB approval will be needed.
-Administration approval.
-Parent approval.
-Student names will be replaced with an identifier.