1. Co-Teaching
EDPS 410/665
Spring 2014

2. Consider: accommodations, modifications, personnel supports, settings
LRE Decision Process
Document current level of performance
Develop student IEP objectives
Determine how the objective or related set of objectives can be taught in the general education classroom.
Consider: accommodations, modifications, personnel supports, settings

3. LRE process cont.
Determine alternative LRE instructional settings for those objectives that cannot be taught in the general ed setting with the “use of supplementary aids and services.”
Identify what additional settings or activities will provide opportunities for interactions with nondisabled peers.
6. Determine how student performance on IEP objectives will be evaluated

4. Personnel Supports
General Education: student with a disability is served in the general ed class with no additional personnel support.
Consultation: student receives at least one segment per month of direct service from the special education teacher
Supportive instruction: student receives services from personnel other than a certified teacher in the general education classroom

5. The LRE Process Determine & document current levels of performance
Develop student’s IEP objectives
How can the objective(s) be taught in the general ed classroom?
The LRE Process
Mods & Accomms.
Settings
Personnel Supports
For objectives that can’t be taught in GenEd, identify SpEd & community settings
Identify additional settings/activities to provide opportunity for interaction with nondisabled peers

6. What is Co-Teaching?
Co-teaching involves two or more certified professionals who contract to share instructional responsibility for a single group of students primarily in a single classroom or workspace for specific content or objectives with mutual ownership, pooled resources and joint accountability.
Friend & Cook, 2000

7. Co-Teaching Involves two or more professionals
Involves heterogeneous groups of students
Shared delivery of instruction
Shared physical space

8. Advantages to the General Educator
ALL students learn - label or not .
More time to learn content & share learning strategies.
Less focus on individual problems.
2X the opportunity to assist students.
Background info on special education students is provided.
With help of special educator, meet the needs of individual student learning styles.
Support for students who need organizational strategies!
Peer pressure for appropriate behavior--negative behaviors are decreased.
Professional growth greater personal satisfaction!

9. Advantages for the Special Educator
Time effective
Teach with a content area expert and learn the expectations of the general education classroom.
Spend more time and energy in assisting students to develop motivation, effort, and responsibility for their own learning.
Have more opportunities to use learning strategies within content areas and to move toward generalization.
"Reality check" for student goals within the general education setting.
Partnership with a colleague in support of student IEP goals.
Rewards of viewing first hand students' success and establishing credibility among their peers.
Improved student behaviors.
Mutual learning and appreciation for each other's expertise.
Professional growth greater personal satisfaction!

10. Advantages for ALL Students
More time spent working cooperatively, learning content, and understanding students with different abilities.
Strong emphasis on learning skills, organizational responsibility and preparedness.
Diverse learning techniques and teaching techniques available.
More contact time with teachers for school and personal issues.
Unique learning needs met to the greatest extent possible
Improved self-esteem.
Opportunities for leadership and growth within the least restrictive environment.
Less fear of failure due to successful experiences.
Enhanced sense of responsibility.
Better / more meaningful grades

11. Framework for Co-Teaching
Shared system of beliefs
Prerequisite skills
Collaboration
Classroom Practices
Administrative Issues

12. Shared system of beliefs
Teacher roles
Student participation level
Behavior management styles
Equal partnership

13. Category of teacher belief How my co-teacher believes
Sharing Beliefs
Category of teacher belief
How my co-teacher believes
How I believe
Noise
Noisy classrooms interfere with some students’ learning
A noisy classroom can be a busy and productive place
Maintaining student notebooks
for a grade
All students responsible for maintaining daily updated notebook
Students w/ organizational difficulties need structure built into the class for this

14. Prerequisite Skills Individual prerequisites
Personal qualities and skills
Pedagogical qualities and skills
Discipline-specific qualities and skills

15. Collaboration Levels
Planning
Presenting
Processing
Problem-solving

16. Approaches to Co-Teaching
One teach/one observe
One teach/one circulate
Station teaching model
Parallel teaching
Alternative teaching
Team teaching

17. Cooperative Learning
All students are assigned to heterogeneous groups and, under the guidance of the teacher, help one another master content previously presented by the teacher.

18. Administrative Issues
Create culture for collaboration
Creates opportunities for problem-solving
A neutral 3rd party
Creates logistics that make co-teaching feasible

19. Issues for Co-Teaching
Content and modifications
Planning
Instructional format
Parity
Use of classroom space
Noise level
Routines
Discipline
Feedback
Student assessment
Teaching chores
Confidentiality
Pet peeves
Whose students are these?

20. Lesson Planning
General education teachers usually plan for groups of students
Special education teachers typically plan for individuals

21. Co-Planning Lessons Who will be in each group or activity?
What activities will keep each student motivated and busy?
When, where, and for how long will the lesson plan be taught?
Who is primarily responsible for each of the activities and assessments?
Identify theme, topic, or goal of lesson
Locate content in textbook and/or printed curriculum
Which students cannot benefit from that content?
all or nearly all students?
by most of the students?
some of the students?
None of the students?
How will activities take place?

22. Definitions
“…to make fit or suitable by changing or adjusting” (Webster’s Third World Dictionary, 1994)
“a thing resulting from adapting; a change in structure, function, or form that improves the chance of survival…within a given environment.”
“any device or material that is used to accomplish a task in everyday life.”
To adapt
An adaptation
Adaptive device

23. Deciding to Use an Adaptation
Instruction in specific skills cannot quickly meet the student’s need because the students disability prohibits the completion of the task in the same manner as the other students

24. Considerations Is the adaptation portable for use across environments?
Is the adaptation age-appropriate?
Is the adaptation durable for frequent use or use over time?
Does the adaptation appear to be the least intrusive during activities and the natural flow of events?
Will funding of the adaptation be an issue?
Is the adaptation accessible within the team and resource parameters of the education team?

25. Successful Adaptations
Must be feasible for teachers to implement
Must be lively, engaging, and fun
Must be developed with the goal of working
toward independence, with a gradual fading and eventual elimination of the adaptation
Must have a definite purpose

26. Successful Adaptations
Should be part of a comprehensive plan
Should benefit the student and enhance, or at least not detract from the learning of other students
Do not place undue attention on the student or put the student in a potentially embarrassing situation
Are continually evaluated

27. 4 Types of Adaptations
Environmental
Material
Instructional
Activity

28. Environmental Adaptations
Behavioral arrangement
Physical arrangement
Sensory arrangement

29. Material Adaptations Alter COMPLEXITY of format
Alter MOTOR requirements
Alter SENSORY requirements
Use of technology

30. Instructional Modifications
Instructional Groupings
Teaching Format
Rate of Instruction
Alternative Approaches

31. Instructional Modifications cont.
Adjust language level
Reduce amount of instruction given at one time
Sequence activities in a logical manner
Settings where skills can be functionally taught
Advanced organizers

32. Activity Adaptations
Use adapted or functional materials that parallel the regular activity
Determine the functional outcome of the activity and allow for alternative student responses
Engage student in selected parts of an activity

33. Activity Adaptations Reduce the number of required responses
Within an activity, define different outcomes
Allow additional time to complete an activity
Increase amount of demonstrations and hands on experiences