Important
Session
Information:
Co-teaching has emerged as one potentially powerful strategy for accomplishing concurrent goals for students with disabilities: (a) meaningful access, in the least restrictive environment, to the same rigorous curriculum that other students access and (b) provision of specially designed instruction embedded in the curriculum. However, building and—more importantly—sustaining co-teaching programs as part of inclusive schooling often require continued reflection, renewal, and resolution of a variety of challenges. What has become clear is that co-teaching, while tremendously effective when implemented correctly, is not a panacea and is not a service option easily put into place and maintained.
The purpose of this session is to explore conceptual and practical issues related to creating and maintaining co-teaching programs in inclusive schools: the what, the why, the who, and the how. In particular, it is designed to provide opportunities for school and district leaders to discuss the concerns and roadblocks to establishing and refining these services for students with disabilities and other special needs with an emphasis on identifying constructive strategies for gaining the most benefit possible from co-teaching. In addition, this session is intended to assist site and district leaders implementing co-teaching to have its key components in place so that its full potential can be realized.
Questions to Frame the Session
1.What is high quality co-teaching; what is it not? Why is co-teaching integral to contemporary schooling? What evidence indicates co-teaching effectiveness and how does it contribute to overall school improvement work?
2.What does co-teaching look like in practice? What are indicators of co-teaching effectiveness that administrators should look for as part of observations (looks like, sounds like)?
3.How does co-teaching affect instruction in the classroom? How do co-teachers ensure students with disabilities receive the specially designed instruction to which they are entitled?
4.How should students with disabilities be scheduled into co-taught classes and separate instructional settings?
5.How should special educators be scheduled when they have multiple role responsibilities, including co-teaching (usually in multiple classrooms) and providing services in separate settings?
6.What are administrative responsibilities for creating, refining, and sustaining co-teaching programs that positively affect student outcomes?
7.What are your additional questions and concerns about co-teaching and inclusive schooling?