1. Co-Teaching
Improving Student Learning and Performance for Students with Disabilities

2. Co-Teaching: A Strategic Plan for Implementation
Michele Battin
Christopher Gagliardo
Paul Gilbert
Joshua Gilevski
Yvonne Ibarra
Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery.
-Horace Mann

3. Demographics The co-teaching model is currently implemented in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes
First Grade (2 classes)
Class one
Teacher/student ratio = 1:18
Poverty level = .67
Low income count = 12 students
Class Two
Poverty level = .39
Low income count = 7 students
Kindergarten (2 classes)
Class One
Teacher/student ratio = 1:21
Poverty level = .52
Low income count = 11 students
Class Two
Teacher/student ratio = 1:20
Poverty Level = .45
Low income count = 9 students

4. Demographics Cont. Second Grade (2 classes) Third Grade (2 classes)
Class One
Teacher/student ratio = 1:19
Poverty level = .53
Low income count = 10 students
Class Two
Third Grade (2 classes)
Class One
Teacher/student ratio = 1:21
Poverty level = .48
Low income count = 10 students
This class does not use a co-teaching model.
Class Two
Teacher/aide/student ratio = 2:1:19
Poverty level = .63
Low income count = 12 students
This class uses a co-teaching model.

5. Demographics Cont. Fourth Grade (3 classes) Class One Class Three
Teacher/student ratio = 1:21
Poverty level = .48
Low income count = 10 students
Class Two
Teacher/student ratio = 1:25
Poverty level = .40
Low income count = 10
These two classes do not use a co- teaching model.
Class Three
Teacher/aide/student ratio = 2:1:18
Poverty level = .72
Low income count = 13 students
This class uses a co-teaching model.

6. Demographics Cont. Fifth Grade (2 classes) Class One Class Two
Teacher/student ratio = 1:25
Poverty level = .60
Low income count = 13 students
This class does not use the co- teaching model.
Class Two
Teacher/aide/student ratio = 2:1:25
Poverty level = .40
Low income count = 16 students
This class uses the co-teaching model.

7. Vision Statement
Special Education and General Education teachers will gain capacity to collaborate and have joint ownership and accountability for delivering instruction and assessment for the achievement and success of all students in the general education curriculum resulting in systemic and sustainable improvement.
Cook (2004)

8. Mission Statement
[School name] is committed to enabling all students to reach or exceed their potential. As co-teaching professionals, we will create opportunities for all students to grow academically, emotionally, and socially. We continually strive to create an academic and physical environment that nurtures and enhances the growth and development of each student. Cook (2004)

9. Rationale
Method of delivering services to students with disabilities or other special needs as part of the school’s philosophy of inclusion
ALL students receive improved instruction
Instructional fragmentation is minimized
Reduces stigma often attached to students with disabilities
Provides a supportive learning environment
Cook (2004)

10. Co-Teaching Overview
The No Child Left Behind Act and current reauthorization of federal special education legislature have brought added pressure for educators to ensure that all students meet higher standards. Because school reformers have set higher standards, teachers are responsible for ensuring that students with disabilities achieve the same success as other learners. There has been an increased emphasis placed on educating students with disabilities, and other special needs, in general education settings. Co-teaching is an educational option that meets the diverse challenges faced by educators.
Cook (2004)

11. Definition of Co-Teaching
Co-teaching consists of two or more educators or other certified staff who are contracted to share instructional responsibility for a single group of students in a classroom for specific content. The educators have mutual ownership and share joint accountability in the single classroom or workspace.
Cook (2004)

12. Co-Teaching is NOT…
When one teacher teaches one subject and the other teaches a different subject
One teaches while the other prepares materials or corrects student work
One teaches while the other stands by idly watching
When one person’s ideas of what and how content should be taught prevails
Assigning an additional teacher to act as a tutor
sagepub.com (2004)

13. Benefits of Co-Teaching
Collaboration between general education and special education
Provides a wider range of instructional alternatives
Improved instructional practices increase students’ participation, engagement, and learning
Increased teacher-student ratio
Cook (2004)

14. Development District-wide/School-wide
Establish and articulate a shared vision for using co-teaching as a method of providing inclusive programming for students with disabilities (district-wide, school-wide, family, community)
Plan professional development for administrators and school- based staff
Establish clear goals and expectations
Establish clear roles and responsibilities
Establish effective methods of communication
Establish timeline for implementation
Establish procedures for monitoring and evaluation of co- teaching model
Establish procedures for measuring student outcomes and achievement
Establish a school-based instructional leadership team
Maryland State Department of Education (2011)

15. Development Cont. Determine Readiness and Needs Co-Teaching Team
District-wide/school-wide
Skills and knowledge of administrators, teachers, related service providers, and support staff
Resources (staffing, instructional, space, budget)
Scheduling and staffing assignments
Assess students’ strengths and needs to ensure appropriate placement in co-teaching classes
Co-Teaching Team
Commit to a vision of co-teaching as a method for delivering instruction to students with disabilities
Identify roles and responsibilities
Establish classroom procedures
Design lessons and assessment
Identify professional development needs
Plan collaboratively
Maryland State Department of Education (2011)

16. Professional Development
Initial and Ongoing
Administrators, principals, teachers and support staff participate in professional development
Research based related to using co-teaching as an instructional delivery model
Driven by professional development standards
Related to five approaches of co-teaching
Based on student characteristics and needs
Based on teacher characteristics and needs
Maryland State Department of Education (2011)

17. Implementation District-wide/School-wide
Provide collaborative planning time
Arrange schedules to accommodate co-planning and co-teaching
Class composition/Appropriate student grouping (proportion of students with disabilities per class, number of classes, types of disabilities)
Provide continued professional development based on teacher/student needs
Allocate necessary resources for instruction, progress monitoring and assessment
Maryland State Department of Education (2011)

18. Implementation Cont. Co-Teaching Team
Participate in professional development
Choose appropriate approaches based on student needs
Plan and deliver co-taught lessons that provide access to general education curriculum inclusive of accommodations to meet student needs
Conduct progress monitoring and data collection
Communicate with parents
Maryland State Department of Education (2011)

19. Monitoring & Evaluation
District-wide/School-wide
Review data to determine if co-teaching model is effective
Review data to determine if co-teaching model should be expanded
Ensure data is being used to improve instruction in co- taught classrooms
Assess impact of co-teaching on student achievement
Conduct classroom observations for fidelity
Evaluate effectiveness of professional development and plan for ongoing development
Identify strengths and weaknesses (planning time, scheduling, classroom composition, teaching teams)
Maryland State Department of Education (2011)

20. Monitoring & Evaluation Cont.
Co-Teaching Team
Monitor student performance
Analyze data to assess student achievement and established outcomes
Determine if established lesson outcomes are being met
Determined needs for ongoing professional development
Identify and problem-solve barriers
Determine parity in planning and responsibilities
Make adjustments as needed
Communicate results
Maryland State Department of Education (2011)

21. Co-Teaching Responsibilities
Co-teaching team members must make decisions by utilizing a cooperative process. Interactions are important for co-teachers, as they must decide how often they need to meet and how much school time they will need to interact. Co-teachers should develop a communication system, such as a log book, when formal meetings are not scheduled.
Cook (2004)

22. C0-Teaching Responsibilities Cont.
Administrator
Provide the necessary training and professional development opportunities for co-teachers to successfully implement co-teaching model
Provide regularly scheduled meetings for co-teachers and assist with the development of timelines and priorities
Assign co-teachers who share similar educational philosophy and teaching style
Provide direct support to co-teachers, problem-solve day-to-day struggles
Be a proactive supporter of co-teaching
Cook (2004)

23. C0-Teaching Responsibilities Cont.
General Education Teacher
Open communication
Responsible for instructional delivery as decided by both co-teachers
Equally responsible for the learning of all students to whom he/she is assigned
Must achieve a distribution of leadership functions and ensure all students are learning
Monitor the success of the co-teaching service of delivery and the achievement of the lesson’s learning goals
Individual accountability by acknowledging the importance of his/her individual actions and how those actions affect the success of the co-teaching model
Cook (2004)

24. Co-Teaching Responsibilities Cont.
Special Education Teacher

25. Co-Teaching Responsibilities Cont.
Co-teachers must plan together. The following are topics for co-teachers to discuss:
Instructional content and teachers’ expectations for all students
Format of the instruction and planning, includes who will do which part of the planning and instructional delivery
How to create parity in the classroom
Organizing space for students and teachers
Instructional routines, division of teaching chores (grading, preparation, etc.)
Classroom management and discipline procedures
Safety issues for all students
Open communication, feedback process
Evaluation procedures, how student outcomes will be assessed
Personal issues that might affect teachers’ relationship in the classroom
Establish what the definition of “help” is in the classroom
Cook (2004)

26. Co-Teaching Responsibilities Cont.
Both teachers must…
be responsible for planning, delivering and assessing instruction
identify and design accommodations and/or modifications for all students
manage behavior and intervene with appropriate interventions as needed
be familiar with various assessment procedures and formats
work together to design data collection procedures and to determine how data will be collected and analyzed
be involved in meetings and conferences related to students’ instructional programs
make a commitment to openly and regularly share information and to discuss issues related to the instructional programs for students in their class
advocate for all students
Louisiana Department of Education (2011)

27. Co-Teaching Approaches
One Teach, One Observe
One teacher observes and gathers data related to student engagement in the learning process during instruction.
Both teachers analyze data together to guide future instruction.
Use in new co-teaching situation, when questions arise about students, to check student progress, or to compare target students to others in class.
One Teach, One Drift
One teacher is responsible for teaching, the other circulates and assists students as needed.
Use when lesson is best delivered by one teacher, when one teacher has particular expertise, in new co-teaching situations, or when student work needs close monitoring.
Cook (2004)

28. Co-Teaching Approaches Cont.
Parallel Teaching
Both teachers are teaching the same information but class is divided and lesson is taught simultaneously.
Use when lower adult-student ratio is needed to improve instructional efficiency, to foster student participation, or when using drill practice, re-teaching, and test review.
Station Teaching
Teachers divide content and students, students rotate from one teacher to another and to an independent station.
Use when content is complex but not hierarchical, when lessons include review, or when several topics comprise instruction.
Cook (2004)

29. Co-Teaching Approaches Cont.
Alternative Teaching
A small group of students works with one teacher, larger group works with the other.
A large group completes planned lesson, small group completes an alternative lesson or same lesson at a different level.
Use when students’ mastery of concepts taught varies, when high levels of mastery are expected for all students, when enrichment is desired, or when some students are working in a parallel curriculum.
Cook (2004)

30. Co-Teaching Approaches Cont.
Team Teaching
Both teachers deliver same instruction at the same time.
Each teacher speaks freely during large-group instruction.
Instruction is a conversation, not turn-taking.
Use when two heads are better than one or experience is comparable, when instructional conversation is appropriate during lesson, when teachers have considerable experience, or when a goal of instruction is to demonstrate some type of interaction to students.
Cook (2004)

31. Testimonials Benefits of co-teaching …
“The students benefit from two different teaching styles; multiple learning modalities are hit. I also think that you have a stronger curriculum because you have two experts teaching the same curriculum and the benefit of their knowledge together. Both teachers ‘hover’ on students that seem to need it most, especially students who are not ‘identified’ but are close.”
“There are two teachers with a similar number of students that a regular classroom has, if it’s handled properly.”
“Students who are not necessarily identified as special needs but have more needs than regular education students actually get the benefits that special needs students would get, and they get that extra support.”

32. Testimonials Cont. Negatives of co-teaching…
“Reduced stigma on special education students in a true co-teaching
model, not just as a consultant. As a consultant, kids don’t view you as
the teacher, they view you as a helper. Both classes move between
classrooms, it’s not just special education students, it’s both ways.”
Negatives of co-teaching…
“Lowest students who are identified don’t benefit as much as they would from small group instruction. The highest students are sometimes held back and expected to partner with children who have special needs.”
“Difficulties if you don’t choose who you co-teach with, because some teachers are really inflexible. Teachers are control freaks.”

33. References
Cook, L. (2004). Co-teaching: principles, practices, and pragmatics. Retrieved from teaching.lcook.pdf Louisiana Department of Education. (2011). Louisiana’s co-teaching resource guide. Retrieved from teaching_Guide.pdf Maryland State Department of Education. (2011). Collaborative development and implementation stages of the co-teaching frame- work. Retrieved from assets/attachments/86/original_133-Using_State_Per_Dev-Inclusive_ Practices_Sorin_-_4.pdf? What is co-teaching? (2004). Retrieved from upm_data/6847_villa_ch_1.pdf