The purpose of this survey study was to provide a demographic profile of PK-12 public school music teachers and details about the public school music teaching positions in Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. An invitation to complete a questionnaire was emailed to all PK-12 public school music teachers in these three states whose email addresses could…

Co-teaching is a service delivery model employed to establish inclusion. The lack of evidence supporting the use of co-teaching is the problem addressed. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to improve the inclusive experiences and outcomes for students by determining the role teacher self-efficacy plays in the co-teaching experiences of…

This research study examined curricular and instructional approaches that help students who receive special education services meet common Illinois state standards as measured by annual state standardized testing. Despite having supportive accommodations and modifications, Illinois students who receive special education services have lagged behind…

The purpose of this study was to test whether co-teaching had an impact on special education students achievement in the areas of reading comprehension and fluency. The study was conducted in a south-west suburban Chicago elementary school, and data from special education students at the school were discrepant from their nondisabled peers. This…

Launched in 2011, the Accelerating Opportunity (AO) initiative aims to increase the ability of students with low basic skills to earn valued occupational credentials, obtain well-paying jobs, and sustain rewarding careers. AO encourages states to change the delivery of adult education for students interested in learning career skills by enrolling…

While there is considerable research concerning co-teaching among special educators and regular classroom teachers, little work has been published regarding co-teaching that involves teacher candidates and their cooperating teachers. During the last three years, two middle level education faculty members involved in their University's Professional…

Accelerating Opportunity (AO) combined integrated career pathways at two-year colleges with team teaching, acceleration strategies, supportive services, and policy changes. It aimed to help low-skilled adults earn occupational credentials, obtain well-paying jobs, and sustain rewarding careers. This final implementation report documents activities…

Inclusion programs have expanded in schools across the country as educational leaders strive to meet the needs of a more diverse group of students. In response to Special Education legislation, schools and districts implemented programs and strategies for students with disabilities in the general education setting as increasing numbers of students…

The second annual implementation report for the Accelerating Opportunity (AO) initiative in four states finds that: (1) colleges aligned pathways and supports with local needs; (2) students were satisfied with AO; (3) AO instructors grew more adept at team teaching; (4) colleges struggled to recruit adult education students; (5) states and…

Walking into a new school with a recently earned certificate in one hand and a key to the office in the other is an unsettling feeling. Principals in this position--who often wonder who will help them along the way--need support from an effective principal or administrator. Though corporate leaders often use the phrase "reach behind you and…

In the course of developing and co-­teaching Social Research Methods (SRM), an interdisciplinary, upper-­division undergraduate course at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS), the authors discovered that this type of partnership is ripe ground for exploring integration of anthropology and sociology on epistemological and methodological…

This study describes a procedure one school district used to increase students' reading abilities through reviewing data and adjusting the instruction to give students intensive services, as needed. This school worked in a problem-solving team approach to develop a comprehensive team that followed the progression of student achievement.…

In 1999, the Southern Illinois Schools University Partnership was born with the purpose of developing a series of professional development schools that would address the preparation of novice and experienced teachers, enhance Southern Illinois University Carbondale's teacher education program, and improve preK-12 student achievement. Being at the…

This study addresses the question of how undergraduates with an opportunity to serve as teachers, or "peer facilitators", at the college level think about and approach teaching. Peer facilitators in the "Gateway Science Workshop" Program at Northwestern University serve in a teaching role for one to two years, leading weekly,…

Collaborative teaching has grown in popularity as students with disabilities have been increasingly moved to general education classrooms. Despite the growth of these models, little empirical evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of these practices. In this investigation, general and special education teachers (N = 118) from 20 urban…