TYPICAL MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHING PRACTICES The school district in which I teach uses heterogeneous grouping in the middle schools for all students except for the top few percent of mathematics students,who are placed in accelerated classes. Differentiation within the heterogeneous classes is based on pretests before each chapter that determine whether a student already knows the material. Common extensions include application projects, more word problems, and activity sheets with larger numbers or a slightly advanced twist on the concept. Providing these types of extensions ensures that the base knowledge of the students in the class remains similar, allowing the district to continue to apply its standard curriculum while appearing to meet all students' needs through differentiation.