Co-Teaching as a Methodology in Teacher Preparation Kristin Dauk and Bridget Weigt National Convening on Clinical Practice Washington, DC  November 14, 2011

Presentation Overview During this presentation we will share: Co-teaching structures at MSU Our rationale for using co-teaching Our journey of implementation Challenges we face and ways to address those challenges Research results Researchers say that the challenges we face in today’s schools demand ever- increasing creativity and insightfulness from teachers and administrators committed to improving the learning environment for students….The skills necessary to achieve these increased demands within the classroom will most often incorporate various forms of collaboration and an ever wider range of teaching methods. MSU believes that using co-teaching as a methodology in our teacher preparation program provides our teacher candidates and K-12 partners with the necessary skills to meet these needs.

Co-Teaching - General Definition An effective, evidence-based instructional strategy in which two or more caring professionals share responsibility for a group of students and work collaboratively to add instructional value to enhance their efforts - Chapman & Hart Hyatt (2011) Some of the earliest descriptions of co-teaching come from the work of Bauwens, Hourcade and Friend --and Cook and Friend in 1995 defined it as “two or more professionals delivering substantive instruction to a diverse or blended group of students in a single physical space” our co-worker, Carrie Chapman states that “ This definition of co-teaching has evolved from a general education-special education strategy to one of good practice for all schooling – and has further evolved for us as…..

Co-Teaching: MSU Structure A Cooperating Teacher plus an MSU Teacher Candidate are the two caring professionals who share responsibility. They work collaboratively, add instructional value, and work to enhance learning for diverse groups of students.    We see co-teaching as more inclusive and holistic than the general education teacher co-teaching with the special education teacher. It is shared decision making and shared teaching.

Co-Teachers... Consider the adults, the students, and their professional practices as they co-plan. Jointly decide how to best offer instruction - engage in substantive co-planning. Use a range of approaches/models. Collaborate for best results. Have strong administrative support. Discuss logistical issues to improve teaching and learning. For teachers to truly work together as quality co-teachers , they must gain a shared understanding of the components involved in this teaching model. (Go to slide) Professional practices include: curriculum, instruction, assessment, and classroom culture.

Aim = 60-70% co-teaching + 30-40% solo teaching Co-Teaching Models Complementary Co-Teaching One Teach, One Observe One Teach, One Support Side-by-Side Co-Teaching Station Teaching Parallel Teaching Alternative Teaching Walk the Talk Co-Teaching Team Teaching The six models for co-teaching provide a way to structure and focus instruction. both teachers alternate roles and responsibilities In the complementary models both teachers agree that one teacher instructs the class while the other teacher provides intentional observations or targeted support to students. This co- planning is key and takes the role of the second teacher beyond that of an instructional aide. It is a good place to start – the challenge is when it becomes the model used as the default model In the side-by-side models, both teachers take a more active role in designing instruction, grouping students ,and delivering instruction. If a co-teaching pair is walking the talk, both teachers share full responsibility for all that happens in the classroom, including continuously planning, implementing, and evaluating student outcomes. Challenges: requires extensive planning, timing of lessons. matching pacing ant this turly demands a trusting partnership between the TC and CT Aim = 60-70% co-teaching + 30-40% solo teaching

Co-Teaching in COE Licensure Programs Professional development for faculty Modeling and learning about the co-teaching strategies/methods within MSU courses Shared lesson plan design across COE and content courses Opportunities for co-teaching strategies to be incorporated in pre-student teaching field experiences

MSU Program: Why are we using the Co-Teaching Model?

MSU Vision and Rational for Co-Teaching Transition from the traditional model of the "Sink or Swim" approach Apprenticeship where extended time is spent co-planning/co-teaching with your partner Emphasis is on providing greater opportunities for enhanced K-12 student achievement MSU has decided to move away from the traditional approach where the student observes a few lessons and is then left to teach on their own with little or no support. To an apprenticeship model where the teacher candidates and the cooperating teacher engage in time to co-plan and co-teach. Thus the emphasis then moves from that of the candidate learning to teach on their own to a collaborative approach which supports them in that growth as well as providing greater opportunities for K-12 student learning. The ultimate goal is to reach and teach all students better –co-teaching allows the teachers to expand their thinking to new, amazing possibilities.

Research About Co-Teaching Critical resources are added for the partnership to use with a diverse population of students (Roth & Tobin, 2004; 2005) Enhanced opportunities for reflection on teaching and learning (Gallo-Fox et al, 2005) Significant achievement gains in K-6 co-teaching classrooms (SCSU)

Value-Added Co-Teaching Improve teacher to K-12 student ratio Increased professional growth Encourage quality MSU teacher candidate mentoring 1 + 1 > 2 Co-teaching is a value-added collaborative practice because both teachers are taking an active, purposeful role in the teaching duties It is critical that the pair identify and capitalize on their strengths and build a collaborative relationship in which they continually determine how to provide the most effective and efficient support for students in ways that could never be possible with one teacher alone. (go to slide) So in essence, 1 + 1 is really greater than 2

MSU’s Co-Teaching Journey... Fall ‘08 – Spring ‘09:  COE faculty study research on changing student teaching practices/options and attended training Spring ’09:  Present future plan to PDS Governance Council and Field Experience Committee Co-teaching program approved and detail planning begins Fall ‘09:  Initial co-teaching trainings for faculty, TOSAs/university supervisors  IRB approval University Supervisor = Adjunct Faculty or TOSA TOSA = Teacher-on-Special-Assignment PDS = Professional Development Schools

Journey Spring‘10:  Initial co-teaching training for 45 co-teaching pairs in 5 PDS Districts Research Data Collection began Presentation updates and discussions with all PDS partner administrative teams Fall‘10:  Training for 55 co-teaching pairs in 7 PDS Districts Research Data Collected Co-teaching content inclusion within Blocks/Levels of curriculum in COE teacher licensure programs

Co-Teaching Implementation Spring‘11:  Training for 100 Co-teaching pairs in 8 PDS Districts Research Data Collected Fall‘11:  Training for 124 Co-teaching pairs in ALL partner districts Spring ’12: Training for 100% Co-teaching pairs in ALL partner districts Research Data to be Collected

Co-Teaching Pairs Training Held at the beginning of each semester with Cooperating Teachers, Teacher Candidates, and University Supervisors Basics of the co-teaching methodology Research information Co-teaching at MSU Co-teaching strategies Relationship development using: Conversations to Get Started™ What Color is Your Personality                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Pairs training provides a way for the teaching partners to extablish a shared vision, the partnership, and lay the collaborative foundation

Challenges Addressed Embedding co-teaching in our teacher licensure programs Professional development for faculty University K-12 Secondary Coalition meetings Implementation in multiple K-12 districts Initial pilot group with 5 of our PDS sites PDS Administration and TOSA support was crucial for success Gradual implementation over 2 years in approximately 50 partnering districts

Challenges Addressed Fidelity of Program Email reminders Hold mid-semester co-teaching collaborations Conversations with administrators Monthly supervisors’ meetings Observe co-teaching lessons through scheduled, unscheduled, and walk-through visits Triad relationship fostered between the university supervisors and their teacher candidates, as well as the cooperating teachers

Challenges we have Addressed Training Offered at the beginning of each semester Money Support from our NExT Initiative Sustaining the program Transitioning to online training sessions Working toward placements in PDS districts where our trained cooperating teachers practice

MSU Co-Teaching Research January 2010- May 2011 Research Themes across three semesters.... Values Planning Communication Teaming

Research Data Collection Surveys Co-Teaching Logs Focus Group Interviews Journal Entries Final Student Teaching Evaluation Form

Pilot Study Purpose: to examine the academic engagement of students in secondary schools who are in co-teaching student teaching settings compared to more “traditional” student teaching classrooms Tool: EcoBehavioral Assessment System Software (EBASS) Results are still be analyzed.

Next Steps... Continued research with current methods...add K-12 achievement measures to co-teaching models. Add co-teaching (or teacher role) checklist for observations. Increase the inclusion of co-teaching in curricula and experiences in all teacher preparation programs within the College of Education, MSU. Increase inclusion of co-teaching in curricula and experiences in content area courses at MSU.