Diversity and High Academic Expectations Without Tracking: Inclusively Responsive Instruction

This article presents an instructional model (inclusively responsive instruction) that takes advantage of student diversity in order to differentiate student learning while maintaining high expectations. In the history of U.S. education, diversity and academic rigor were often considered at odds, and educators tried to emphasize one at the expense of the other. This article uses a detailed set of examples from Japanese mathematics education to illustrate how diverse ideas, as important resources, can drive classroom instruction. Teaching and learning supports are described that are essential to helping all teachers balance group and individual learning in classrooms. Current U.S. instructional approaches and the model of inclusively responsive instruction are compared in terms of balancing diversity and academic expectations.