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Co-teaching can be similar to a marriage partnership.

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In Lauren Eisinger and Kara Houppert's co-taught 5th grade classroom, every instructional choice requires a lot of planning.

When Eisinger, a special education teacher at Naples Elementary School in upstate New York, and Houppert, a 5th grade teacher, wanted to start a class book club last year, they knew they would have to think creatively to accommodate reading levels spanning 2nd to 6th grades.

So they did a "book tasting," giving students a choice among several different, appropriately-leveled texts. Once they grouped students, teachers ran the activity like "more of a guided reading," said Houppert, with both of them reading aloud to different groups to support special education students who struggled with fluency and decoding.

"You need to be very flexible, and underneath everything, you need to trust each other," said Eisinger, who co-teaches 1st and 5th grade classes at Naples Elementary. "If you don't have that kind of mindset-that you're both there to do the best that you can for your kids-I think it would be really difficult."

Co-teaching, in which a special educator and a general educator share the responsibility of instructing and assessing students, has long been a standby in inclusion classrooms, which encompass both general education students and those with disabilities.

When done well, co-teaching should enable students with disabilities to receive the general education curriculum and special services that they need in the same setting, said Sara Cook, an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who researches special education.

But for it to work, teachers need the time, training, and resources to effectively integrate their distinct instructional expertise, said Marilyn Friend, a co-teaching expert and professor emerita of education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

"Co-teaching used to be called a professional marriage, and I'm kind of tired of that metaphor," she said. "It really needs to be more like a business partnership."

Research Is Mixed

Co-teachers should have parity in the classroom, Friend said. And in Eisinger and Houppert's 5th grade class, they co-sign all emails to parents; both of their names and pictures are displayed in the classroom.

But even though they're equals, co-teachers shouldn't perform the same roles, Friend said. While general educators are the experts in the curriculum and content, special educators devise and implement a plan for addressing students' individualized education programs.

It's difficult to determine how many students are in co-taught classrooms nationally or how popular co-teaching is in comparison with other inclusion models.

The federal government collects data on special education students' instructional environment: In 2015, a little more than 60 percent of students spent 80 percent or more of their day in a general education classroom. But there's no information included on how students are receiving services, Friend said.

Still, she said, there's evidence that co-teaching is becoming more popular. "A lot of states with high populations are really actively encouraging this as a service model," said Friend, citing Texas, which revised its co-teaching guidance this year, and California, which has scaled up its co-teaching efforts over the past several years.

Findings on co-teaching's effect on student outcomes are mixed, said the University of Hawaii's Cook. (The Center for Exceptional Children's 2018 practice recommendations for co-teaching, which Cook co-authored, suggests that educators proceed with caution.)

"It is hard to determine, from current research, what may make some co-taught classrooms more effective than others as co-teaching is not always clearly described in studies," Cook said. The strategies and interventions used aren't always explained, she said.

"Research should look at what's happening in the co-taught classroom," Cook said. "Are teachers using evidenced-based practices in the classroom to meet the individual needs of students?"

Time: The Key Component

The Naples school system, where Eisinger teaches, doesn't yet have comprehensive results regarding whether co-teaching has raised student achievement, said Katie Piedici, the director of pupil-personnel services in the nearly 700-student district. But the model has helped the district put more students in the least-restrictive environment, she said.

To meet student needs in their classes, Eisinger, Houppert, and 1st grade teacher Brittany Ritz use different strategies from day to day and lesson to lesson.

In the 1st grade classroom, for example, one teacher sometimes leads whole-group instruction while the other provides support, or students will break into teacher-led math and reading groups.

"I have some kids right now who struggle with just knowing that they have five fingers on each hand," said Ritz. Still, she's able to keep the pacing of the general curriculum consistent, she said, as Eisinger can work with students who need modifications to master foundational skills.

To do this kind of collaboration, all three teachers said, they need time-to plan together, to debrief lessons, to talk about how they want the classroom to run.

Eisinger shares one 40-minute planning period a week each with Houppert and Ritz, a scheduling triumph she attributes to her school leaders intentionally making time for co-teachers to work together.

The district has communicated the expectation to building leaders that co-teachers need this time, Piedici said. Pairs also have a half day they can take during the year to catch up on planning, and new co-teaching partners undergo summer professional development.

It's important that school systems have a plan for how to prepare, schedule, and set norms for co-teachers, said Friend. "It doesn't matter how good the teachers are: If there's not an administrator really actively supporting [co-teaching], it's really difficult to implement and sustain."

District-sponsored training was Ritz's main introduction to co-teaching-she doesn't remember her general education preservice program covering the model in any detail.

Source: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Some general education programs offer courses that address co-teaching, like Syracuse University, which requires all elementary teacher-candidates to get dual certification in special education. But many programs at the middle and high school levels don't cover the method, Friend said. "It varies wildly."

The Naples district sent Ritz and two other co-teachers to a conference, and she also attended workshops in the district. She learned how to use different co-teaching methods-parallel teaching, team teaching, small-group instruction. "Before then, I really had no idea what those even meant or would look like," said Ritz, who has taught for eight years at the school.

As the sole classroom teacher, "You don't really need to communicate to someone else what you're doing or how you're thinking," Ritz said. "You just do it." Looping in a co-teacher on all her plans was a hard adjustment to make at first, she said, and something she still struggles with occasionally.

During especially busy weeks, co-planning periods can get taken up by other tasks-like prepping for parent-teacher conferences, Houppert said. In those instances, she and Eisinger rely on the professional relationship that they've built. It's important, said Houppert, that she knows Eisinger will be able to jump right into a math lesson with just a two-minute briefing about what they're doing that day.

"It takes a lot of communication, and realistically, it does take a lot of trust in one another," Houppert said.

Related Video

Two Baltimore-area school teachers explore what it's like to share a classroom every day:

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Published in Print: December 5, 2018, as Co-Teachers Combine Forces on Strengths and Specialties

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In Lauren Eisinger and Kara Houppert's co-taught 5th grade classroom, every instructional choice requires a lot of planning. When Eisinger, a special education teacher at Naples Elementary School in upstate New York, and Houppert, a 5th grade teacher, wanted to start a class book club last year, they knew they would have to think creatively to accommodate reading levels spanning 2nd to 6th grades.

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Twenty-five questions

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If you just started your new school year with a new co-teacher, congratulations. Over the next year, you're going to be:

1. creating an awesome partnership that makes the most of both your skills, and

2. spending a LOT of time together to make it happen.

Co-teaching experts Elizabeth Potts and Lori Howard put it this way: If you co-teach for just 50 minutes a day, that's 125 hours you'll be spending together this year-not including the time you'll block off for planning, conferencing, ironing out kinks, and figuring out how to help Jimmy and Maya work toward their (very different) IEP goals.

You two don't have to be Superfriends-or best friends-but starting off on the right foot helps. So today, let's look at some key questions you can answer together to jumpstart your first team meetings. These are from Potts & Howard's and they'll help you get to know each other better, reach consensus on your classroom logistics and policies, and plan ways to communicate throughout the school year. (At the end of this post, you can download the questions as a handout for easy reference.)

Start your conversation

As Potts & Howard point out, your first conversations as co-teachers tend to set the tone for your whole relationship. Hold an informal get-to-know-you meeting away from school grounds-grab coffee together or have dessert in a café with a nice quiet atmosphere. Tell her your story and listen to hers. Talk about your teaching background, your past experiences, your outside interests, and any parts of your personal life that might help explain what you bring to the co-teaching equation. Ask questions like these:

How did you come to be a teacher? What drew you to this grade or discipline?

What do you think is most important for me to know about you?

What are your interests outside of teaching? What do you do in your spare time?

How long have you been at this school?

Are we comfortable calling each other at home?

A casual, friendly get-together will help you understand each other better and recognize each other's personal boundaries (some value close friendships with their co-teachers, while others prefer a bolder line between their personal and professional lives). This way, you'll already have a feel for where your partner's coming from and how to relate to her when challenges arise.

Work out classroom logistics

If you haven't already, meet to discuss the nuts and bolts of your classroom-everything from the physical arrangement of desks to the establishment of class routines. Here are some questions to explore as a team:

How will we arrange our classroom to support our instruction? Will desks be arranged in a row, a circle, or groups? Where will supplies and centers be located?

What will the flow of our class period look like?

What models of co-teaching are we comfortable with right now? Are we comfortable with expanding our horizons and using other models?

What roles will we play in the classroom? How do we coordinate our efforts to help the entire class succeed?

How will we decide on and establish routines and rules in the classroom?

What happens when one of us takes a sick day?

Nail down your classroom management policies

When you've established the setup of your classroom and the roles each of you will play, make sure you're on the same page with classroom management and behavior support. Consider these questions:

What will our specific policies be for gum, food, and drink in class?

What will students be expected to have in front of them (e.g., pencil sharpened, paper out, book out, warm-up activity complete) when the bell rings?

How will we manage and monitor behavior?

What will consequences be for inappropriate behavior?

How will we project that we are both classroom leaders?

Decide how you'll communicate

Consistent, respectful, and effective communication is the engine that keeps your co-teaching relationship humming along. In your planning meeting, discuss when and how you prefer to communicate. Decide what methods you're both comfortable with-do you prefer face-to-face interactions and handwritten notes, or do you swear by texting and apps that help keep your messages organized? Make sure you have a plan for communicating important information to parents and students, too.

Here are some questions you might want to cover:

What will our regular schedule be for detailed planning or discussions?

How is it best to get last-minute information to each other?

What technology will we use to communicate? Email? Apps? Telephone calls at home?

How will we communicate our policies to the students?

How will we interact with parents? As a team? Separately? As requests come in?

How will we deal with and communicate issues such as students who are not performing well or need extra help?

How will we avoid students asking one of us a question, then going to the other if they do not like the first answer?

On what kinds of decisions should we always consult each other?

What kinds of things should we each handle independently?

***

These questions are just a first step toward building your ideal co-teaching partnership. Teaching together is an art that takes practice and lots of trial and error. But if you get on the same page early, your partnership-and your new school year-will be off to a strong start.

Download these 25 questions as a handout, and keep them at your fingertips to help guide the first meetings with your teaching partner.

Learn more essential co-teaching strategies in

What do you think? What's the most important ingredient of a successful co-teaching partnership? Have your say in the comments below!

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25 Questions for NEW Co-Teachers to Answer Together

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If you just started your new school year with a new co-teacher, congratulations. Over the next year, you're going to be: creating an awesome partnership that makes the most of both your skills, and spending a LOT of time together to make it happen.

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Over communicate.

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So far in this series, we have presented an overview of special education classifications and looked at the role of edtech. In today's installment, we're going to turn our attention to co-teaching strategies.

When students are identified to receive special education services, they have the same rights and deserve the same quality of education as general education students-not just in theory but in daily action. Education has reached a point where the line between special education teacher and general ed teacher should be completely blurred. Collaboration is integral in achieving this.

To set the baseline, let's introduce some common classroom scenarios. Remember, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that all students receiving special education services be placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Inclusive (or inclusional) classrooms refer to settings where students who receive special education services are taught alongside their general education peers. Co-teaching strategies are employed, and these classrooms typically have both a general ed and special ed teacher. Inclusive classrooms typically have students who are classified as having mild to moderate disabilities. The co-teaching approach is often referred to as collaborative team teaching (CTT) or integrated co-teaching (ICT). " Self-contained classrooms refer to settings where all students in the classroom receive special education services. These classrooms typically include students who have been identified as having more severe disabilities. There are many applications of LRE, as dictated by a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), but for the sake of the conversation around co-teaching, let's focus on these definitions.

Whether in an inclusive or a self-contained classroom, students with disabilities still fall under the canopy of receiving special services in their education. The needs of individual students may vary widely, so it is important that you design your program in a manner that allows you to focus on the unique needs of your population and incorporate the most effective approaches for them. In an inclusive classroom setting, co-teaching or team teaching is a key element.

In CTT or ICT, chemistry within the team is no longer enough. Obviously, it helps, but it is not sufficient on its own. Specific, proven approaches for collaborative teaching must be understood and used. To be successful, communication and partnership are critical. Between co-teachers, mutual appreciation and respect for each other's teaching style and time starts the partnership off in the right direction. After that, co-teachers must think about the most effective processes for teaching and differentiating instruction for each child.

Here, we will go through the various approaches designed to achieve these goals. Think about your classroom situation, and consider which approach or combination of approaches might be most effective for you and your teaching partner. Keep in mind the content of your curriculum, the student dynamics in your classroom, and the general personal approach you and your team have. There are benefits and things to be mindful of in each process. This is by no means a restricted list, but think of it as a place to start-and let us know how your program works in the comments section!

One Teach, One Observe: Exactly as it sounds, one teacher observes specific student characteristics while the other teaches. This strategy is less about providing students with new instruction and more about monitoring student interaction and maintaining data. This works well when a specific student(s) needs to be identified or observed.

Supportive Co-Teaching: In this model, one teacher takes the primary role. The other supports an individual or groups of students, helps students maintain focus, gathers observational data, and provides classroom management. This method tends to be especially successful when teaching new concepts or when one teacher is a content area expert. Communication and planning are key to make sure that each teacher is aware of his or her role in the lesson.

One consideration when using this strategy-be cautious of perception, as students may start to see one teacher as more of an authority figure than the other. Make sure that balance in the leading of instruction is maintained. Don't let one teacher become the classroom disciplinarian or minion. Rejoice in the opportunity to share instruction, and take advantage of each teachers' strengths.

Parallel Co-Teaching: In this model, the class is split into two groups. Each co-teacher instructs one group of students, presenting the same material simultaneously. This gives both teachers the opportunity to work with a small group of students.

Communication is once again critical to this strategy, and co-teachers must plan as a team to be sure that there is parallelism in the structure and quality of instruction that they each provide. Coordinated tasks must be divided in a way that supports the overall learning objective for the class. Using this model is not intended to provide differentiated or individualized learning; rather, it gives students the opportunity to see instructional concepts presented from different lenses and experience multiple related instructional activities. Smaller groups also allow for more student-to-teacher interaction and opportunities for student participation.

The caution with this model is to ensure that all students are given time in each teacher's group. This helps to maintain equal status between the teachers in students' eyes and best supports students' varying learning styles.

Station Teaching: Here, the content is divided, and each teacher works with small groups of students. The students rotate to each instructor through stations featuring different content. The stations involve differing tasks and activities relating to the same instructional content or objective. The work at the stations is not hierarchical. The tasks should be able to be completed in any order. All students participate in all stations.

Complementary Co-Teaching: In this model, one teacher provides primary instruction, while the other offers supplemental or complementary instruction. This might include modeling note-taking strategies, paraphrasing or simplifying the primary instruction, or recording content. To be effective, both teachers must talk to each other and be sure that they are supporting the general instruction.

With an eye to special education, pre-teaching is one example of applying this strategy. One co-teacher may pre-teach specific study or social skills to special education students in the classroom and then monitor students' use of them. Meanwhile, the other co-teacher teaches the academic content to the class as a whole.

Team Teaching: Using this strategy, co-teachers collaborate and teach alongside one another as a team. They share responsibility for planning, teaching, and assessing the progress of all students in their class. In this model, both teachers "play off" each other and share the instructional role.

Alternative Teaching: This is the last model we will take a look at (in this conversation at least). In this model, one teacher instructs a large group while the other teacher works with a smaller group on a completely different subject. Co-teachers must work together to determine the large and small groups, as well as their desired outcomes, lessons, appropriate activities, and any assessments to be administered to either group.

This model works well for enrichment or remediation and can be a great strategy to provide successful differentiated instruction. By dividing their class into targeted groups, co teachers have the ability to expand and collapse instruction based on students' needs.

The instruction for students with disabilities in an inclusive environment embraces collaborative teaching, no matter which model is employed, and it begins with eliminating the stigma of special education. Co-teaching also provides opportunities for general education student to receive appropriate interventions early in the instructional process and benefit from a variety of educational approaches. Co-teaching can offer flexibility and modifications to instruction that work to the advantage of all students. Time spent in common preparation, professional development, and debriefing on successes and challenges can also be hugely rewarding to co-teachers themselves. Achieving the gains that can come from co-teaching begins with school and district support of the initiative. With proper time, planning, and teamwork, co-teaching can be a key element of a successful special education program, as well as a rich and inclusive general education program.

Looking for more co-teaching tips? Take a look at our blog post on Best Practices in Co-Teaching! Interested in learning more about how Edmentum's online solutions can support special education in your school or district? Check out our Special Education Solutions for Educators!

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Trending Issues in Special Education, Part 3: Co-Teaching Strategies

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So far in this series, we have presented an overview of special education classifications and looked at the role of edtech. In today's installment, we're going to turn our attention to co-teaching strategies. When students are identified to receive special education services, they have the same rights and deserve the same quality of education as general education students-not just in theory but in daily action.

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Other professionals to turn too when in need.

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Get a definition of collaborative team teaching, also called co-teaching, and see a list of different co-teaching models.

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Cooperation and connection works in the best interest of each child.

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https://ctserc.org/component/k2/item/50-six-approaches-t
o-co-teaching

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NORTHERN KENTUCKY COOPERATIVE FOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

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Collaboration/Co-Teaching

Following the implementation of IDEA, almost 80% of students with disabilities are educated in general education classrooms for 80% of the day with support from special education teachers. Two key ways to support students with disabilities in general education classrooms is through collaboration and co-teaching.

Collaboration is defined as a special education and general education teacher planning together to support students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Collaboration focuses on supporting students with disabilities (this model does not focus on delivery of content to all students). This can include collaborative lesson planning as well as coordination of the delivery of Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) and Supplementary Aids and Services (SAS). Collaborators sometimes work together in the general education classroom, but instruction is usually provided separately in a collaborative model with the student receiving primary instruction and SAS in the general education classroom and then receiving SDI from the special education teacher.

Co-teaching was created from research by Dr. Marilyn Friend, and this model specifies that two teachers with equivalent certification - usually a general education and special education teacher - work together to deliver content instruction in the general education classroom to support the learning of ALL students. The models of co-teaching that have been found to have the highest percent of student growth are:

1. Parallel teaching

2. Station teaching

3. Alternative teaching

4. Team teaching

Helpful Websites
The Inclusive Classroom Project National Education Association 6 steps to successful co-teaching ASCD Making co-teaching work
Helpful Resources
KDE CEC 2017 Co-Teaching Resources Co-Teaching-Approaches Co-Teaching Planning Protocol Co-Teaching Lesson Plan Template Co-Teaching in the Classroom: What Teachers Need to Know
Books & DVDs

Training & Technical Assistance Available...
If your district or school would like to explore how collaboration and co-teaching can be implemented to best support the learning of students with disabilities, please contact us to discuss support opportunities including:

Professional development (training)

Professional Learning Community development

Book study support

Administrative support for implementing co-teaching and collaboration

Training offerings include:

1. Co-teaching overview

2. Co-teaching models 2.0 - a deeper look at how to implement co-teaching

3. Co-teaching in content areas (co-teaching in language arts, co-teaching in math, co-teaching in science, co-teaching in social studies...)

4. Co-teaching walkthroughs and observations

Contact us!

Laura Clarke

Dr. Laura Clarke has over 10 years of experience supporting students with disabilities, teaching pre-service and practicing teachers at universities in the tri-state area. Laura has her Director of Special Education, Learning and Behavior Disorders, Moderate to Severe Disabilities, Interdisciplinary Early Childhood certifications and has taught in self-contained, resource, and co-teaching classrooms.

Laura has presented at regional, state, national conferences and has published articles in Teaching Exceptional Children, Beyond Behavior, Teacher Education and Special Education, Kentucky Teacher Education Journal. She looks forward to sharing her experiences supporting teachers and students with disabilities with the Northern Kentucky community.

I welcome the opportunity to work with you!

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Collaboration/Co-Teaching Following the implementation of IDEA, almost 80% of students with disabilities are educated in general education classrooms for 80% of the day with support from special education teachers. Two key ways to support students with disabilities in general education classrooms is through collaboration and co-teaching.