Introduction to Co-Teaching: A Model for Effective Instruction for All Students

Kevin Schaefer Debra Herburger Kshaefe@wested.org Dherbur@wested.org

January 21-22, 2015

Learning TargetsParticipants will be able

to……Understand the

pedagogy and purpose of co-teaching;

…Identify the challenges of and needs for

successful implementation of co-teaching;

…Create a plan for successful

implementation of co-teaching;

…Establish criteria for the measurements of

success.

Improving Access to General Education Curriculum for

Students With Disabilities Through Collaborative

Teaching

The Goal of Co-Teaching

What Do We Know About Special Education?

• It is both reliant upon and symptomatic of general education.

• It is a set of supports and services, not a location or a state of treading water.

• It is intended to accommodate for or address a disability that affects learning, not make up for poor instruction.

• Students with disabilities are general education students first and should be treated as such both instructionally and fiscally.

History of parallel

education paths for

“different” learners

What is the “least restrictive environment”?

1975: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act mandated that students receive education in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

1990: Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) encouraged the placement of students with disabilities in general classroom settings.

What is the “least restrictive environment”?

• The LRE is the setting in which children with disabilities may be educated with typically developing peers to the maximum extent possible.

• Every child should be educated in the regular classroom, in the school he or she would attend if not disabled, with “supplementary aids and services.”• Special classes, separate schooling or other removal of

children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily

What is the “least restrictive environment”?

• The LRE is the setting in which children with disabilities may be educated with typically developing peers to the maximum extent possible.

• Every child should be educated in the regular classroom, in the school he or she would attend if not disabled, with “supplementary aids and services.”• Special classes, separate schooling or other removal of

children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily

What is the “least restrictive environment”?

Over the past several decades, the philosophy

of “inclusion” has significantly altered the

instructional landscape for students with disabilities.

The Effectiveness of the Co-Teaching Model—Literature Review

Hanover Research, 2012.

Aligning Practices Through Co-Teaching

• Co-teaching is becoming one of the fastest growing inclusive practices in school.

• Despite this rapid increase in popularity, co-teaching remains one of the most commonly misunderstood practices in education. Steele, Bell, & George, 2005

We [special ed teachers] have Response to Intervention (RTI) making waves throughout general education scene. And we have Universal Design for Learning being cited as an effective research-based framework for meeting the needs of all learners. The premise and principles of each framework fall solidly on the practices that special education teachers have routinely followed for many decades.

Raising the Bar for Students with Disabilities

It is clear that special education teachers will need to speak up and raise the roof! We need to support our general education colleagues. We have the knowledge of research-based practices that align seamlessly with the expectation that all students will gain the skills and knowledge to achieve more within the College and Career Ready Standards universe.

Stein, Elizabeth. Co-Teaching and the Common Core. MiddleWeb Blog. 2013

Raising the Bar for Students with Disabilities

Raising the Bar for Students with Disabilities

Because special educators cannot be

masters of ALL content areas, researchers

note, “collaboration with generaleducation is essential.” Co-

teaching thusfunctions as a means of facilitating

suchcollaboration.

Dieker, Lisa A. Preventing School Failure. 2001.

“Co-teaching draws on the strengths of both

the general educator, who understand the

structure, content, and pacing of the general

education curriculum, and the special educator,

who can identify unique learning needs of

individual students and enhance curriculum and

instruction to match these needs.” --Magiera, Kathleen and Naomi Zigmond

True Co-teaching requires the expertise of both educators.

If you want to go quickly, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together.

African Proverb

“The use of a co-teaching model, in which two adults share the responsibility of meeting the diverse needs of all students, results in better academic and social outcomes for those students” (ERIC Clearinghouse, Including students with disabilities in general education classrooms).

If it was easy, it would not be called‘work’!

Action Plan—1st Section

“The two teachers delivering content to the class have equivalent licensure or status and participate fully in the instructional process. In other words, both teachers work with ALL students.”

--Marilyn Friend

Qualities of Effective Co-teaching

MO

ST L

EA

ST

Continuum of LRE Supports

Murawaski, Wendy. 2010

Special Day Class/Self-

Contained Class

Special Ed ‘pull out’ at

varying levels (for example, pull out twice a

week for language/

speech therapy, pull out

every day for a

significant period of

time)

A homogeneous class of all

SWDs, taught be a special ed or

gen ed teacher; limited

interaction with non-disabled peers;

possibly lower

expectations both

academic and

behavioral

CO TAUGHT A mix of

students with and without disabilities in the same gen

ed class where the gen ed and special ed teachers

work collaboratively to meet the

diverse academic and social/behavioral needs of all students

In-class support (push-

in) When the support is

brought into the gen ed class; may occur daily, weekly, or monthly.

Monitoring (consult);indirect,

rather than direct,

support. Gen ed teacher provides

differentiation for all

learners.

LE

AS

T MO

STContinuum of Collaboration Supports

Murawaski, Wendy. 2010

Special Day Class/Self-

Contained Class

Special Ed ‘pull out’ at

varying levels (for example, pull out twice a

week for language/

speech therapy, pull out

every day for a

significant period of

time)

A homogeneous class of all

SWDs, taught be a special ed or

gen ed teacher; limited

interaction with non-disabled peers;

possibly lower

expectations both

academic and

behavioral

In-class support

(push-in) When the support is

brought into the gen ed class; may occur daily, weekly, or monthly.

Monitoring (consult);indirect,

rather than direct,

support. Gen ed teacher provides

differentiation for all

learners.

CO TAUGHT A mix of

students with and without disabilities in the same gen

ed class where the gen ed and special ed

teachers work collaboratively to meet the

diverse academic and social/behavioral needs of all students

Continuum of Co-Teaching

A gen ed or special ed

teacher with a homogeneous

mix of students in the same classroom; a

second educator comes into the classroom for

part of the time to help

individual students.

Two educators in the same

classroom; one teacher clearly

takes the lead in all areas including

planning, instructing, managing behaviors,

communicating with parents, etc.

Two educators working

collaboratively to meet the academic

and social-emotional learning needs of diverse students; both

educators have a shared sense of

responsibility for all learners; may not plan and assess

together; co-instruction is limited to one teacher/one support or observe.

Two educators working

collaboratively to meet the academic

and social-emotional learning needs of diverse

students; co-planning, co-

instructing (using a variety of the instructional

models) and co-assessing takes

place on a consistent basis; both educators create shared

responsibility for all learners and all

learning.

Potential Challenges Challenges Strategies to

Overcome Challenges

Resources/Supports to Overcome Challenges

Roles and Responsibilities for All Role Responsibility

(in supporting effective co-teaching implementation)

Looks Like

General Ed Teacher

Special Ed Teacher

Para-educators

Site Admin

District/County/State Support Personnel

Action Plan—2nd Section

When two or more educators CO-PLAN, CO-INSTRUCT, AND CO-ASSESS a group of students with diverse needs in the same general education classroom (Murawski, 2003).

Co Teaching

How is what the two of you are doing

together substantively

different and better for students than what each of you could do alone?

The lens you should look through

Getting Past the Blind Date Stage!

• There are several instructional models for co-teaching—different structures that serve different purposes.

• You will not use any one model all of the time—it will depend on the goals and objectives of the lesson and how you are structuring student interaction for that particular lesson.

Instructional Models for Co-Teaching

Lead and Support (aka one teach, one assist/ one teach, one observe) • Both educators are present with one

taking a clear lead in the classroom while the other observes and assists students.

Click the icon to view the video

Station Teaching• Teachers divide instructional content into several

segments and present the content in separate stations around the classroom.

• With two stations, the General Educator and Special Educator each teach their half of the content and then switch groups. Alternatively, both teachers may move between groups in order to provide support.

• If students are able to work independently with content, a third station may be established.

Click the icon to view the video

Parallel Teaching• General Educator and Special Educator

plan instruction jointly, but each delivers instruction to a heterogeneous group consisting of approximately half the class.

Click the icon to view the video

Alternative Teaching• One teacher works with a small group

while the other teacher interacts with the larger group.

• Small groups can be pulled for pre-teaching, re-teaching, enrichment, interest groups, special projects, make-up work or assessment groups.

Click the icon to view the video

Team Teaching• Both the General Educator and the Special

Educator share the instruction of students.• One teacher may lead discussion while the

other models or demonstrates. • Team teaching affords the ability to model

quality team and interpersonal interactions.

Click the icon to view the video

Both teachers have presence in their roleA climate of success for all students is

created - with both teachers focusing on ALL

Progress is monitored and learning assessed daily

Academic and social skills are taughtObjectives are clearEngaged learning time is maximizedDifferentiation is expected by both

teachers• Lisa Dieker

Common Characteristics of an Entire Lesson

Elements to consider when choosing one of the instructional model

• Lesson objectives and learning outcomes • Student needs• Make up of the class • Available resources• Educator expertise• Each co-teacher’s comfort level with

content • Purposeful student grouping • Opportunities to take advantage of having

two educators

How is what the two of you are doing

together substantively

different and better for students than what each of you could do alone?

Elements to consider when choosing one of the instructional model

• Lesson objectives and learning outcomes • Student needs• Make up of the class • Available resources• Educator expertise• Each co-teacher’s comfort level with

content • Purposeful student grouping • Opportunities to take advantage of having

two educators

Explore the co-teaching instructional models.

Action Plan—3rd Section

SCAFFOLDING RESCUING

Observation Checklist

Review Wendy Murawaski’s Co-teaching observation checklist—what would you want to add or change?

Observation for Support/Coaching

Looks Like… Sounds Like…

Feels Like…

Reflection Tools Reflection Tool Part 1: When should you use this tool? What purpose will it serve?

Reflection Tool Part 2: The focus is on INSTRUCTION—when and how could you use this tool?

Reflection Tool Part 3: Setting or refining your co-teaching goal. When could you use this tool?

Planning, planning, planning…

“In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”

Getting to know each other packet…

How can pages 5-8 be used as a guide for weekly co-teacher planning sessions?

What other tools will you need to ensure co-teacher planning sessions are productive for both teachers?

Action Plan—4th Section

Last Thoughts: • Co-teaching will be the Least Restrictive

Environment for a majority of our students with disabilities.

• Co-teaching is: when two or more educators CO-PLAN, CO-INSTRUCT, AND CO-ASSESS a group of students with diverse needs in the same general education classroom (Murawski, 2003).

• Co-teaching requires one of the highest levels of collaboration between general ed and special ed, as well as support from colleagues and administration.

• For co-teaching to be successful and sustainable, administration must provide tangible, actionable support.