Co-Teaching
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Schools are exploring various inclusive service delivery models that effectively address the needs of diverse learners. Special Education must have a continuum of services in which inclusive services must be apart of to support the placement of students with disabilities. Co-teaching is one option that allows general and special educators to reach today’s goal for students with disabilities. Co-teaching is intensive specially designed instruction embedded within full access to grade-level, rigorous general curriculum leading to a reduced achievement gap.The purpose of the guide is to help districts and schools establish a common understanding of co-teaching fundamentals, from conceptualization to implementation and evaluation, and to explain essential components of effective co-teaching programs. It provides non-regulatory guidance to LEAs regarding setting up and implementing effective co-teaching models for delivery of specially designed instruction to students who are eligible for special education services. The document is organized with the intent that LEAs can use it in part or in its entirety.All educators know that lesson planning is a critical part of instruction. Through the process of mapping out instruction, teachers can reflect on the instructional objectives and necessary supports to help students achieve. This process is even more critical for co- teachers because they need to discuss the roles and contributions of each member of the team during the delivery of instruction. Co-planning should be an ongoing activity, preferably with specific, designated planning times. The greatest benefit of the co-teaching planning process is the team’s ability to tap into each teacher’s area of expertise and have thoughtful conversations about student needs. It also allows teachers to reflect on the effectiveness of co-teaching, analyze student formative data, celebrate successes, and address any questions or concerns.The purpose of the field user guide is to provide examples of how the different co-teaching approaches can be combined and utilized during instruction. It includes four sample lesson plans that show how the different co-teaching approaches can be used flexibly when designing instruction. The focus is not on the content of the lesson, but on how the instruction is delivered. Each lesson demonstrates a way the six co-teaching approaches can be used together. There are many other possible combinations that could be appropriate to use. The co-teachers are responsible for choosing which co-teaching approach(es) to use, based on the needs of the students and the best way to deliver the content to those students.
Last Modified on May 31, 2023