High-leverage practices (HLPs) support differentiation by providing?

• A. Evidence-based strategies and frameworks that can be tailored to individual learners.
• B. Rigid, one-size-fits-all protocols.
• C. Only assessment tools with no instructional guidance.
• D. Strategies that ignore social-emotional aspects.

Answer: (A)

High-leverage practices are designed to be adaptable and evidence-based, so teachers can tailor instruction to each learner. They provide concrete, research-supported strategies and flexible frameworks that you can adjust for different abilities, language backgrounds, and learning needs. This ability to customize pacing, scaffolds, feedback, and supports is what makes HLPs effective for differentiation.

The other options don’t fit because they describe rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches, tools without instructional guidance, or strategies that overlook social-emotional development. Differentiation hinges on responsiveness to individual students, guided by solid evidence, not fixed protocols, and it includes attention to students’ social and emotional context as part of effective learning.