Differentiation is often celebrated as a scaffolded instructional strategy that fosters academic growth. However, emerging research suggests that scaffolding can have unintended adverse effects on the achievement of marginalized student populations (Student Experience Toolkit). To more effectively address the systemic and interpersonal barriers that impact the achievement of all student populations, educators must adopt and blend into scaffolded instruction new, flexible approaches—such as adaptable instruction—that respond to diverse student needs (Bagot & Latham, 2019; Pozas et al., 2019).
