What is your biggest instructional problem with LD students in
the classroom? Co-Teaching: A Method of Inclusion Do you have a
name? Learning Disabled? Slow Learner? Dyslexic? Manic Depressive?
Anger issues? Autistic? Mentally Challenged? A.D.H.D? Try again.
John Max Clay Elijah Rylie Pedro Sanjee Teach to them, not their
label. Co-Teaching: A Method of Inclusion History In 1975, the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) encouraged
mainstreaming. Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement
Act (IDEIA) 2004 requires inclusion. Gaskin Settlement Agreement
(6/94) establishes Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) compliance
monitoring. The number of students enrolled in special education
has risen 30% over the past ten years (NEA, 2009) Societal Waves of
Changes (Lipsky and Gartner, 1992) First wave was standards and
curriculum Second wave was teacher empowerment, school-based
management Third wave was school reform Underfunded Programs Under
IDEA, the federal government committed to pay 40% of the average
per student cost for every special education student. On November
19, 2004, Congress reauthorized IDEA with new provisions and yet is
only providing local school less than 20% of the promised funds, a
$10.6 billion shortfall for our schools. Pennsylvania pays flat
rate 15% for Special Education. High-School Teachers in Inclusion
Classrooms require dual certification. What is Co-Teaching Two
teachers: one education teacher and one special service provider.
Shared responsibility in planning and teaching A minor portion of
students have special needs Research No single ideal model
Co-teaching forces teachers to collaborate and it is that
collaboration, not the model, that ensures student success. Skits
#1 and #2 go here. Hempfield Co-Teaching Core Teacher Taught Lesson
Pictures of coteachers go here Learning Support Teacher Taught
Skills Pros Beneficial and effective for all students, teaching to
every students need Has parental buy-in Potential strong
administrative support (provide scheduling and planning time)
Co-teaching reduces existing replacement services. Skits #3 and #4
go here. Considerations Planning time Scheduling Program
effectiveness School buy-in Parental buy-in Skits #5 and #6 go
here. More Considerations Cost Co-teacher relationships
Professional development Impact on curriculum Co-Teaching Wiki
Co-Teaching Practices DO: Consider students with special needs as
full members of your class. DONT: Cluster all the students with
disabilities in one place in the room at the back, on one side, or
in their own row Co-Teaching Practices DO: Work with your
co-teacher as a real partner, negotiating and sharing all aspects
of work in the class. DONT: Have the co-teacher act as a teacher
helper, copying or filling out forms. Co-Teaching Practices DO:
Staff share responsibilities. Students know that there are two (or
more) teachers in the room. DONT: Have the co-teacher work only
with students with disabilities. Co-Teaching Practices DO: Make
sure that students with special needs are part of all aspects of
the class so that outsiders find it difficult or impossible to
identify the special kids. DONT: Enclose an included student within
a wall of file cabinets to keep behaviors in check. Co-Teaching
Practices DO: Work together to design teaching at multiple levels
that includes all students. Spend 90% of your collaborative time
this way and 10% on accommodations and adaptations. DONT: Use
co-teacher to develop adaptations for your lesson. Collaboration is
the Key Our team finds that inclusion in the form of co-teaching
forces teachers to collaborate and it is that collaboration, not
the model, that ensures student success. Recommendations for
Implementation Begin Small to Pilot the Program Show Support by
Providing: Reasonable Schedule Adequate Space Planning Time Staff
Development Educate Parents Budgetary Considerations How could you
foresee using this at your school? Can you afford not to?
