CoTeaching Whats Hot Whats Not Marilyn Friend Ph

Co-Teaching: What’s Hot, What’s Not! Marilyn Friend, Ph. D. marilynfriend@marilynfriend. com IL CEC Conference November 4, 2016

Topics for the Session 1. Instruction as the focus in co-taught classes 2. Co-teaching and the contemporary State education standards 3. Expectations for students with disabilities in co -taught classes 4. Teacher roles and reciprocity 5. Electronic collaboration

INSTRUCTION AS THE FOCUS IN CO-TAUGHT CLASSES

Co-Teaching is… __________

Specially Designed Instruction

HOT! SDI Characteristics • Tailored to assessed student PLOP and addresses disability/IEP goals • Changes in content, methodology, or delivery of instruction (e. g. , direct/explicit) • Systematic, carefully planned, monitored • Goal is curriculum access • Requires SET skills

NOT! • Co-teaching as a strategy for “push-in” for students with disabilities • Co-teaching as an option based on school and teacher preferences • Co-teaching as a nebulous way to provide “help” to students with disabilities • Quandary of meeting IEP goals written independently of grade-level curriculum

CO-TEACHING AND CONTEMPORARY STATE EDUCATION STANDARDS

HOT! Contemporary Co-Teaching How do we make sure we’re implementing State standards as part of our co-teaching?

Examples of Curricular Emphasis • Emphasis on informational text • Complex text • Argumentation/ point of view • Evidence to support responses • Inquiry-based instruction • Increased student engagement • Multiple approaches

NOT! • Instruction that is isolated rather than integrated (note IEP implications) • Instructional strategies that are teacher favorites but without an evidence base • Instruction with low engagement (e. g. , lengthy whole-group lecture) • Instruction that ignores principles of Universal Design for Learning

EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN CO-TAUGHT CLASSES

Quiz: Out of Each 10 School-Age Students with Disabilities, How Many Have… • Learning disabilities? • Blind or low vision? • Emotional disabilities? • Deaf or hard-of-hearing? • Speech-only needs? • Autism? • Other health impairments? • Who’s left? (SW: ID, MD, DB, DD) • Physical disabilities? • What’s the point?

HOT! Out of every 10 students with disabilities, more than 8 of them have NO intellectual disability! 02. 05. 14 Marilyn Friend, Inc. © 2014

NOT! • Grouping students with disabilities with students with academic and behavior challenges • “Protecting” students with disabilities from challenging courses and instruction • Inadvertently lowering expectations for SWD and other students

TEACHER ROLES AND RECIPROCITY

GET Responsibilities • Knowledge of and skill for delivering grade level curriculum • Classroom management, including discipline • Knowledge of typical student characteristics and needs • Pacing of instruction

SET Responsibilities • Knowledge of and skills to delivery specially designed instruction • Understanding of unique individual student needs • Completion of all special educationrelated paperwork and procedures • Mastery model of instruction

HOT! GET and SET Co-Teaching Roles Academic Content Expertise General Educators Learning Process Expertise Special Educators

A Word About Teacher Evaluation • Overall applicability of new teacher evaluation systems to special educators • Attention to teacher evaluation/observation in co -taught classes • Teacher evaluation in the context of roles and responsibilities • Resource: http: //www. cec. sped. org/~/media/Files/Policy/CEC%20 Professional%20 Policies%20 and%20 Positions/Position _on_Special_Education_Teacher_Evaluation_Backgrou nd. pdf

Do Paraprofessionals Co-Teach? • Valuable personnel who play key roles in GE classrooms • Paras. DO NOT co-teach; they provide support to students and teachers • Roles cannot be reciprocal because of their employment status • May work on behalf of a single student or as general class support • Roles include data collection, review/practice, application, some chores

NOT! • Directionality (i. e. , GETs give permission to SETs) • SETs implementing only what “fits” or “is acceptable to” the GET • Rigid roles (e. g. , SET works primarily with students who struggle and addresses discipline; GET delivers curriculum) • Your kids and my kids • Paraprofessionals interchangeable with SETs

ELECTRONIC COLLABORATION

A Contemporary Co-Teaching Planning Model 1. Periodic, intensive face-to-face macro planning 2. Ongoing electronic planning 3. On-the-spot fill-in planning strategies

HOT! Planning on Calendars • Lesson planning on existing calendar • Calendar shared annotated to address SDI • Example: Outlook • Example: Google Calendar

HOT! Electronic Teacher Plan Books • Co-planning in the cloud • Dedicated to lesson planning so directly suited to that purpose • Most options allow lesson sharing using simple steps • Free or low cost (e. g. , $1. 00/month) • Examples: Planbook. com

NOT! • Face-to-face as a primary planning model • E-mail in lieu of other electronic collaboration options • Text messaging as planning • “What are we doing today? ”

HOT! References and Resources Causton, J. , & Theoharis, G. (2013). Inclusive schooling: Are we there yet? School Administrator, 70(2), 19 -25. Friend, M. (2015/2016, December-January). Welcome to co-teach 2. 0. Educational Leadership, 73(4), 16 -22. Friend, M. (2014). Co-Teach! Creating and sustaining effective classroom partnerships in inclusive schools (2 nd edition). Greensboro, NC: Marilyn Friend, Inc. Friend, M. , & Bursuck, W. (2015). Including students with special needs: A practical guide for classroom teachers (7 th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill. . Friend, M. , Burrello, L. , & Burrello, J. (2009). More power: Effective instruction in co-taught classes. Bloomington, IN: Forum on Education, Indiana University. Friend, M. , & Cook, L. (2017). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals (8 th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Huberman, M. , Navo, M. , & Parrish, T. (2012). Effective practices in high performing districts serving students in special education. Journal of Special Education Leadership, 25(2), 59 -71. Murawski, W. W. (2012). 10 tips for using co-planning time more efficiently. Teaching Exceptional Children, 44(4), 8 -15. Schillinger, M. , & Wetzel, B. (2014). Common core and the special education student: Your guide to instructional shifts and implementing services and supports. Palm Beach Gardens, FL: LRP Publications. Solis, M. , Vaughn, S. , Swanson, E. , & Mc. Culley, L. (2012). Collaborative models of instruction: The empirical foundations of inclusion and co-teaching. Psychology in the Schools, 4), 498 -510. Walsh, J. M. (2012). Co-teaching as a school system strategy for continuous improvement. Preventing School Failure, 56(1), 29 -36.