As Jacobs emphasizes, curriculum design is choice making, and the choices you make must be informed by your understanding of the diverse students you teach. It is important to remember that while standards may inform your learning goals, these standards were written for All students in that grade level, not specifically for the individual students you teach. By considering the unique learning needs of your students, you can design your curriculum, instruction, and assessment to make standards attainable for All learners in your classroom.

With that in mind, consider how the following learner considerations can help you make the learning goals in standards attainable for the diverse students you teach:

• What sources of data do you have to help you understand and address student readiness, interest, and learning profile (learning style, learning preferences, culture, gender)?
• What do you know about your students’ community and the community’s expectations for their children?
• What role does family involvement play in your curriculum design?
• What considerations related to social development are relevant for your students?
• What other data do you think are important to consider as you design curriculum for learning (e.g., student graduation rate, students who speak English as a second language, students with IEPs, etc.)?

Finally, review the Component 5: Learners—Diversity portion of your Course Project: Part 2—Instructional Plan template. How might the learner considerations mentioned influence specific ways you address diversity in your instructional planning for the students you currently teach?