Co-Teaching as Best Practice in Student Teaching St. Cloud State University – College of Education Funded by a Teacher Quality Enhancement Partnership Grant from the U.S. Department of Education

Co-Teaching is defined as two teachers (cooperating teacher and teacher candidate) working together with groups of students - sharing the planning, organization, delivery and assessment of instruction as well as the physical space. Both teachers are actively involved and engaged in all aspects of instruction Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Benefits to K-12 Students Increased student engaged time Able to work in smaller groups Receive more individual attention Get questions answered faster Get papers and grades back faster Students behave better Fewer class disruptions (for passing out papers, having projects checked, other housekeeping tasks) Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Benefits To Teacher Candidates Teacher Candidates indicated that Co-Teaching led to: Improved classroom management skills Increased collaboration skills More teaching time - Being seen as a “real” teacher Increased confidence Deeper understanding of the curriculum through co-planning More opportunities to ask questions and reflect Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Cumulative Data Reading Proficiency MCA Reading Proficiency Co-Taught One Licensed Teacher Non Co-Teaching Candidate P OVERALL (4 Year Cumulative) 78.8% N=1461 67.2% N=6403 64.0% N=572 < .001 Free/Reduced Lunch Eligible 65.0% N=477 53.1% N=2684 49.5% N=222 Special Education Eligible 74.4% N=433 52.9% N=1945 46.4% N=179 English Language Learners 44.7% N=76 30.7% N=515 25.8% N=31 .069 Significance just between Co-taught and traditional student teaching is the p value provided, based on Chi Square test. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Cumulative Data Math Proficiency MCA Math Proficiency Co-Taught One Licensed Teacher Non Co-Teaching Candidate P OVERALL (4 Year Cumulative) 72.9% N=1519 63.7% N=6467 63.0% N=597 < .001 Free/Reduced Lunch Eligible 54.2% N=513 47.3% N=2778 45.7% N=232 .032 Special Education Eligible 72.0% N=472 54.7% N=1906 48.9% N=180 English Language Learners 30.5% N=118 28.8% N=671 26.8% N=41 .656 Significance just between Co-taught and traditional student teaching is the p value provided, based on Chi Square test. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

The Student Teaching Triad Teacher Candidate Cooperating Teacher University Supervisor In student teaching, a cooperating teacher and a university supervisor support the development of a teacher candidate. These three individuals form a triad. Each member of the triad has particular roles that provide the foundation for a successful student teaching experience. Because the triad works together it is important to know the responsibilities and expectations for each member. Communication What role does each person play? Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Co-Teaching Strategies/Approaches One Teach, One Observe One Teach, One Assist Station Teaching Parallel Teaching Supplemental Teaching Alternative (Differentiated) Teaching Team Teaching Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Co-Teaching is not simply dividing the tasks and responsibilities between two people. Co-Teaching is an attitude an attitude of sharing the classroom and students Co-Teachers must always be thinking We’re Both Teaching! Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

One Teach, One Observe One teacher has primary instructional responsibility while the other gathers specific observational information on students or the (instructing) teacher. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

One Teach, One Assist One teacher has primary instructional responsibility while the other assists students’ with their work, monitors behaviors, or corrects assignments. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Station Teaching The co-teaching pair divide the instructional content into parts. Each teacher instructs one of the groups, groups then rotate or spend a designated amount of time at each station. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Parallel Teaching In this approach, each teacher instructs half the students. The two teachers are addressing the same instructional material using the same teaching strategies. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Supplemental Teaching This strategy allows one teacher to work with students at their expected grade level, while the other teacher works with those students who need the information and/or materials extended or remediated. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Alternative or Differentiated Teaching Alternative teaching strategies provide two different approaches to teaching the same information. The learning outcome is the same for all students however the avenue for getting there is different. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Team Teaching Well planned, team taught lessons, exhibit an invisible flow of instruction with no prescribed division of authority. Both teachers are actively involved in the lesson. From a student’s perspective, there is no clearly defined leader, as both teachers share the instruction, are free to interject information, and available to assist students and answer questions. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Sharing Responsibilities Cooperating Teacher Planning Teacher Candidate Teaching The teacher candidate and cooperating teacher will be working together throughout the experience. Communication will be the foundation that you use to share responsibilities in the classroom. These include: planning, teaching and evaluating. In all three of these areas, sometimes the: Cooperating Teacher takes the lead Teacher Candidate takes the lead Partners share the lead As the student teaching experience progresses, the teacher candidate assumes more and more leadership in planning, teaching and evaluating even though the team is still co-teaching. This also includes directing other adults who might be in the classroom, such as paraprofessionals, special educators, ELL teachers, title I staff, literacy coaches, etc. Assessment Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

The Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will share: Sharing Planning The Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will share: What content to teach What co-teaching strategies to use Who will lead different parts of the lesson How to assess student learning Materials and resources Planning is shared throughout the experience, beginning with the cooperating teacher leading and the teacher candidate contributing. Ultimately the teacher candidate will take over the lead in planning with the cooperating teacher contributing as needed. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

While Co-Teaching, the Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will: Sharing Instruction While Co-Teaching, the Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will: Share leadership in the classroom Work with all students Use a variety of co-teaching approaches Be seen as equal partners Manage the classroom together Make changes as needed during a lesson Instruction is shared throughout the experience, beginning with the Cooperating Teacher leading and the Teacher Candidate contributing. Ultimately the Teacher Candidate will take over the lead and direct the role of the Cooperating Teacher and other adults in the classroom (paraprofessionals, etc.). There will be times where both the Cooperating Teacher and Teacher Candidate will teach solo and be on their own. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

Sharing Assessment While Co-Assessing, the Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher will: Both participate in the assessment of the students Share the workload of daily grading Provide formative and summative assessment of students Jointly determine grades Assessment is shared throughout the experience, beginning with the Cooperating Teacher leading and the Teacher Candidate contributing. Ultimately the Teacher Candidate will take over the lead in assessment and direct the role of the Cooperating Teacher. Both the Teacher Candidate and Cooperating Teacher are expected to identify ways to modify instruction and assessment to meet student needs. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant

What does this look like… Teacher Candidates will be expected to: Contribute ideas from the very beginning of the experience Engage with students assisting with their learning from the very first day Be expected to take on full leadership in all 3 areas (planning, instruction & assessment) Demonstrate competencies as a teacher Have opportunities to teach alone Candidates must understand that they will be provided with the opportunity to solo teach and have full responsibility for the classroom. They are also expected to develop a collaborative working relationship with their cooperating teacher and university supervisor. Copyright 2011, St. Cloud State University, Research Funded by a US Department of Education, Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant