Provide Multiple Approaches to Engage in Content and Demonstrate Learning

The teacher consistently and intentionally considers every student’s strengths and barriers to learning in order to provide multiple methods and choice for students to acquire and engage with content and demonstrate learning. This is the cornerstone of an equitable, culturally responsive, and standards-aligned classroom. To do this, a teacher believes that it is their responsibility to create a learning environment that invites all students to engage, to represent their learning, and to grow. (Adapted from CAST and New Teacher Center Indicator Rubric)

RANDA Connections: I (All Elements), IIC, IIIA

What The Research Says...

Recruiting Interest: This link connects to the UDL framework and demonstrates where this indicator lives in the UDL process.
Create Multiple Pathways to Learn and Demonstrate Learning: A brief synopsis of how providing multiple pathways to engage students supports an Optimal Learning Environment.

Coaching To Provide Multiple Approaches To Engage In Content...

In order to develop a teacher's capacity to Provide Multiple Approaches to Engage in Content and Demonstrate Learning, the coach will use the continuum above, as well as available data sources, to facilitate reflection and identify next steps. One approach may be to turn the continuum bullet points into questions.

The following resources align with the continuum:

Designing Instruction with Students' Identities in Mind
- Four Practices to Promote Equity in the Classroom
- Analyzing Instruction for the Purpose of Improving It (Teaching Works)
- Knowing Students Tool
Designing Multiple Methods for Students to Engage in Content
- Optimize Individual Choice and Autonomy (CAST)
- The Importance of Student Choice Across Grade Levels (Edutopia)
Collaboratively Designing Approaches to Student Engagement and Access
- Foster Collaboration and Community (CAST)
- How To Use Self-Directed Learning Your Class (TeachHub)
- How Does Project-Based Learning Work? (Edutopia)
Designing and Providing Multiple Opportunities for Students to Demonstrate Learning

High Leverage Practice #17 Flexible Grouping: Admin Guide
Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Instruction (Anita Archer; reproducible PDFs from text)

Related Teacher Practices, Student Actions, and Classroom Interactions...

Connection to District-Wide Professional Learning

The indicator "Provide Multiple Approaches to Engage in Content and Demonstrate Learning" supports teachers' ability to provide opportunities for students to question, explain, justify, and ground their thinking in evidence from complex texts, tasks, and problems. This indicator speaks to the need for teachers consider the purpose of their discourse- what type of work do they want students to gain by engaging in discourse (making meaning, critiquing)? Teachers also must consider the structure that will engender the type of thinking that we are asking of students. For example, a structure that supports students questioning might look very different than a structure to support explaining. A teacher also needs to consider the supports to allow each student to engage in discourse that will allow them to clarify and extend their thinking.

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