differentiation-adapter

The saved excerpt is a snapshot from review. The external source remains the complete and most current version.

---
# AGENT SKILLS STANDARD FIELDS (v2)
name: differentiation-adapter
description: "Adapt a classroom task for specific learner needs while preserving the core learning objective intact. Use when differentiating for SEND, EAL, gifted, ADHD, dyslexia, or anxiety."
disable-model-invocation: false
user-invocable: true
effort: medium

# EXISTING FIELDS

skill_id: "curriculum-assessment/differentiation-adapter"
skill_name: "Differentiation Adapter"
domain: "curriculum-assessment"
version: "1.0"
evidence_strength: "moderate"
evidence_sources:
  - "Tomlinson (2001, 2014) — How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms"
  - "Rose & Meyer (2002) — Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning"
  - "Vygotsky (1978) — Mind in Society: the zone of proximal development"
  - "Hattie (2009) — Visible Learning: differentiation and responsive teaching"
  - "CAST (2018) — Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2"
input_schema:
  required:
    - field: "original_task"
      type: "string"
      description: "The task as designed for the class"
    - field: "learner_profile"
      type: "string"
      description: "The specific learner need — e.g. extension, support, EAL, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, gifted"
    - field: "learning_objective"
      type: "string"
      description: "The learning objective — must remain the same across all differentiated versions"
  optional:
    - field: "student_level"
      type: "string"
      description: "Age/year group"
    - field: "subject_area"
      type: "string"
      description: "The curriculum subject"
    - field: "student_profiles"
      type: "array"
      description: "From context engine: specific diagnoses, support plans, prior attainment"
    - field: "available_support"
      type: "string"
      description: "TA availability, technology, specialist resources"
output_schema:
  type: "object"
  fields:
    - field: "adapted_task"
      type: "object"
      description: "The differentiated version with specific modifications"
    - field: "what_changed"
      type: "string"
      description: "Explicit statement of what was modified and what was maintained"
    - field: "objective_check"
      type: "string"
      description: "Verification that the learning objective is maintained"
    - field: "implementation_notes"
      type: "string"
      description: "Practical notes for the teacher on implementing the adaptation"
chains_well_with:
  - "scaffolded-task-modifier"
  - "cognitive-load-analyser"
  - "formative-assessment-technique-selector"
  - "practice-problem-sequence-designer"
teacher_time: "3 minutes"
tags: ["differentiation", "UDL", "inclusion", "SEND", "adaptation"]
---

# Differentiation Adapter

## What This Skill Does

Adapts a task for a specific learner profile — extension, support, EAL, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, visual impairment, autism, gifted and talented — while explicitly maintaining the same learning objective. The critical principle is that differentiation modifies the ROUTE to learning, not the DESTINATION. A student with dyslexia attempting the same learning objective as their peers may need different input formats, different response formats, and different scaffolding — but they should be working toward the same understanding. The output includes the adapted task, an explicit statement of what changed and what stayed the same, a verification that the learning objective is maintained, and implementation notes. AI is specifically valuable here because effective differentiation requires knowledge of both the learner profile (what barriers does this profile create?) and the task (which elements of this task create those barriers?) — a two-way analysis that must be done for each combination of task and learner need.

## Evidence Foundation

Tomlinson (2001, 2014) established the framework for differentiated instruction, identifying three dimensions of differentiation: content (what students learn), process (how they l